White
by Melkor's Mercy
Summary: What if Rukia had never shown up and given Ichigo Shinigami powers? What if the hollow killed him instead? How would this affect Aizen's plans of betrayal? Ichigo finds himself eaten by a hollow shortly after death and awakens within the desolate realm of Hueco Mundo as a Gillian. With only fragmented memories of his past life, he struggles to achieve purpose. Ichigo/harem
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Reborn in Darkness**

Ichigo fell to his knees as a large monstrous, masked creature smashed a fist overhead. The cracking of bones could be heard accompanied by his loud scream as the creature reached down and grasped him in its hand. The masked monster squeezed Ichigo tightly draining the life out of him before finally darkness overcame him.

A thousand sensations could be felt in his final moments of life. After what felt like an eternity, he could see again, but things seemed different. His body was lifeless on the ground in front of him. The orange haired teen stared at his body with pure disbelief, "AM I dead?!" he shouted to himself unable to comprehend it fully.

Indeed, he was no longer in his body as he noticed a severed chain hanging from his chest. The hollow turned towards him again and let out a deafening shriek. It took a step towards him, and grabbed him by his orange hair before dragging Ichigo away. He tried desperately to resist as the sight of his body got further and further away from him.

From around the corner he could see the terrified expression of his sister Karin who watched helplessly as the creature dragged him away. Ichigo grimaced angrily, '_Damn it! Karin! I'm her older brother! I'm supposed to protect her!_'

Karin looked as if she was about to follow them or call out to him, but Ichigo shook his head making direct eye contact. Nothing was said as his sister began to burst into tears at the sight of watching the monster take her brother's soul away.

Ichigo felt a plethora of dark emotions surging within him at that moment, '_I can't be dead. This is impossible. What the hell is this thing supposed to be anyway?! What will dad say when he…sees my body? Damn it! I was too weak…I can't be dead! It can't end like this! NO!_'

He barely managed to look up as the creature retreated a considerable distance to a strange doorway. Ichigo had no idea what it was but soon felt himself and the creature pass through the doorway. Darkness was all he could see as the creature dragged him further and further inside.

His vision eventually adapted to the dark outlines of the darkness…and it appeared as if he were in some sort of forest. That was last thing he remembered as this hollow consumed him entirely.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Some Time Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Strange visions were all Ichigo could see as he felt an emptiness consume his humanity. He had no idea who he was or what he was anymore. Visions of an orange haired human flashed throughout his mind. This creature was sitting in a small room at some type of desk looking out the window.

'_Who is he?_' he finally thought as a moment of clarity surged through his otherwise mindless thoughts.

Suddenly hundreds of different visions flooded through him all at once. Some were of people, animals, and strange masked creatures. He felt as if he was simultaneously remembering all of these beings. '_No…they're us. We're one?_'

His clarity quickly vanished as he could no longer focus on one particular memory. This continued for an unknown period of time until a vision of the orange haired person came back to him. This time, he saw the person's soul. As he focused on the hollow hole in the orange haired human's chest, his mind quickly felt a commanding affinity for this individual. '_Why do we remember this one more than the others?_' his fragmented mind thought randomly.

As he continued to stare at the orange haired person, he noticed the soul look at him. His eyes were pure black with yellow irises, and they had a sickening charisma about them. '_He's me…_' Ichigo finally thought as if a revelation struck him. Not long after, his vision went black and he fell into a slumber.

He awoke later in darkness not fully aware of where he was or who he was, but memories of the orange haired person were the only clear thought he could focus on. Nevertheless, he felt more awareness than before as he could now think more clearly, '_Where am I?_'

Looking around, confusion overwhelmed his senses, '_What was I doing? Have I always been here?_' He trailed around and soon noticed many strange creatures surrounding him. They all looked identical in appearance, being monstrously large in tattered black with strange white masks on their faces.

Upon seeing them, he immediately remembered the strange creature that attacked him and flashes of the events leading up to his arrival. Ichigo cocked his head, '_That was me…but who am I? What was my name?_'

Suddenly, a voice caught his attention, "You there, Gillian! Get in line! We're going to the world of the living to feast!"

Ichigo looked down at a smaller masked creature with an evident curiosity. The Smaller hollow grinned at his reaction, "Oh…What's this? A thinker? Ha! It's been a while since I've seen a unique Gillian. Usually the thinkers look pretty different, but you're completely different. Your robe is white and those red markings on your mask…interesting. Not to mention…those horns."

Ichigo was unable to speak when he tried, and instead simply let out a loud shriek. The smaller hollow laughed at him, "There's no need for you to speak. You will simply listen White Gillian. You're a Menos Grande…and you answer to me."

The Gillian Ichigo simply stared at him as he felt his mind go blank.

The smaller hollow grinned at him enthusiastically, "I should probably kill you, before you go on a feeding frenzy, but I've got this feeling about you. Perhaps you would become strong if I allowed you to become one of the Adjuchas."

Ichigo cocked his head to signify confusion causing the Adjucha to grin, "You're more cognitive than most unique Gillians. You're nowhere near evolution, yet you already possess distinguishable features. You must have been born from a very powerful soul then."

The white Gillian Ichigo nodded his head prompting the Adjucha to grin enthusiastically, "Maybe I should just eat you…and become one step closer to a Vasto Lorde!"

Pure instinct seemed to take over as Ichigo charged a massive red beam in his mouth. The smaller hollow laughed at his display, "You think you can challenge me already? Ha, you should mind your place Gillian! You'll need to become an Adjucha first if you wish to fight me!"

Without hesitation, the cero fired from Ichigo's mouth towards the smaller hollow. It quickly countered with one of its own creating a flashy stalemate. Afterwards, the smaller hollow seemed surprised, "It would seem our Ceros are evenly matched. You are very strong…especially for a Gillian. I'll spare you then, White Gillian. You will make a great addition to my army!"

Ichigo didn't seem to process much as he simply accepted what the other hollow was saying. The Adjucha pointed his clawed hand towards the other Menos Grandes. As he fell in line, Ichigo felt the smaller hollow land on his shoulder, "I think I'm going to call you White…we have much to do in the world of the living. I'm going to need your help in case a bunch of pesky Shinigamis appear."

The nearly mindless Gillians all filed together as they approached a massive Garganta. The Adjucha made Ichigo go through first. After a brief stroll through the darkness, he instinctively reached up and ripped an opening into the world of the living.

Upon stepping through, the Adjucha immediately locked onto a powerful source of reiatsu. "That way Gillians! That Shinigami's soul is mine!"

Ichigo didn't have the full capacity to comprehend his current location, but he knew it was not where he had previously lived as a human.

Not much time passed before a black clothed individual landed in front of them. The lone figure drew a sword and stared them down, "These people are under my protection hollows!"

The Adjucha on Ichigo's back laughed maniacally, "That's fine, because we're here for your soul, not theirs!"

The Shinigami's eyes widened as the Adjucha held up his hand, "Gillians fire your ceros!"

Instinctively, Ichigo did what he was told as he and all of the other Menos Grandes charged red beams in their mouths. His however, was nearly triple the size of the others, which clearly worried the Shinigami. He desperately flash stepped to avoid the attack.

All of the ceros launched towards the man but he outmaneuvered them as he came straight for the Adjucha on Ichigo's shoulder.

The man held up his sword and sighed, "I guess I'll have to use my shikai to beat you."

The Adjucha reluctantly jumped off and began to fight the man. Ichigo took this time to examine this Shinigami fully. His head was bald and his weapon was now some sort of polearm. He seemed to struggle against the Adjucha before a bunch of his allies arrived.

Many began to engage the Menos Grande army, but one in particular caught Ichigo's attention. This one was adorned in white instead of black and had strange spiky hair. The man grinned wickedly at the sight of carnage before quickly leaping into the fray slicing countless Gillians to pieces.

It didn't take long for this Shinigami to notice Ichigo as he came barreling straight for him. On his back a strange pink haired girl seemed to be cheering, "Oh look! A white one! Kill the white Gillian Kenny!"

"What do ya think I'm doing? That one's obviously the most powerful anyway." Kenpachi replied nonchalantly.

Kenpachi stopped his advance however when the sight of Ikkaku on the ground caught his attention. The bald man seemed to be ineffective in defeating the Adjucha causing Kenpachi to grin enthusiastically.

"So there's the leader of the bunch…guess I'll take care of him first!" he laughed.

However before he could reach the hollow, Ichigo unexpectedly grabbed him and threw him to the ground. Almost every Shinigami present stopped what they were doing as they could barely believe a Gillian had just cheap shot their captain. Kenpachi quickly regained his bearings and laughed as his attention turned towards Ichigo, "Haha! I've never seen a Menos Grande move that fast before…maybe he wants to fight me?"

For some reason, Ichigo felt intense hatred for this creature and charged a cero. This one was twice as large as the one he had done previously.

Kenpachi's eyes widened excitedly, "That cero is enormous! C'mon give me your best shot hollow!"

Ichigo fired the powerful beam in an arc slicing countless buildings apart and decimating half the landscape. Kenpachi blocked the cero with his blade slicing it in half before laughing, "Is that all you got?!"

Before he could finish his taunt, the Adjucha blindsided Zaraki with a sharp swiped claw and followed up with a cero of his own. Despite taking the brunt of the attack, the Squad eleven captain appeared fine. The Adjucha seemed worried afterward, "What is the meaning of this?! How are you still alive?!"

"Ha…you think some pathetic hollow like you could kill me? I'm not even trying," he said amusedly.

Ikkaku quickly recovered and flanked the Adjucha with a wide grin, "That's Captain of Squad eleven, Kenpachi Zaraki. You are no match for him, hollow…let alone me!"

The Adjucha growled angrily, "A captain Shinigami?!"

"I'm getting bored of this already. These guys aren't even that strong…I can't believe they sent all of Squad eleven to fight these weaklings," the captain sighed carelessly.

Ikkaku grinned, "Let me take care of him, captain! This guy has been killing our men out here for months. This is personal!"

The Adjucha scowled angrily, "You damned Shinigami need to just stay out of our way!"

"You're deluded if you think you can take on the Soul Society!" Ikkaku countered.

"I'm not going to watch you embarrass yourself anymore…let's just get this over with so we can leave," Zaraki said with boredom rising in his voice.

He gripped his sword tightly as he swooped in and slashed the Adjucha's arm off. The smaller hollow grimaced in agony releasing a loud hollow shriek.

Ichigo watched his fellow hollow with a strange emotion surging within him. He couldn't describe what it was or understand it, but the sight of his companion getting overwhelmed was unbearable.

"Consider that revenge for killing our guys!" Ikkaku beamed.

The Adjucha hissed in pain, "I hate you damned Shinigamis! I'll make you pay for this, even if it kills me!"

'_Revenge…_' Ichigo thought to himself bewildered for a moment. Then the thought of his fellow hollows dying to these shinigami warriors caused him to process the idea.

"Get him, Kenny!" the pink haired girl cheered, but before Kenpachi could make a killing blow to the smaller hollow, a powerful white fist smashed into him.

His eyes widened in surprise, '_I didn't even sense that…this white Gillian is definitely strong!_'

The Adjucha seemed surprised by Ichigo's actions as the white Gillian grabbed him. Ichigo instinctively placed the hollow on his shoulder before focusing his attention back on Kenpachi.

The squad eleven captain started to laugh, "Nice move. You're just full of surprises aren't you Menos Grande?"

"Gillian, retreat…we stand no chance against a captain Shinigami," the Adjucha commanded.

However, much to the smaller hollow's surprise, Ichigo did not obey. Every one of the Shinigami present watched with anticipation as the white Gillian stared Kenpachi down.

"Come and get me!" Zaraki roared with bloodlust.

Doing just that, Ichigo practically soared through the air and attempted to pummel the Squad eleven captain. Kenpachi blocked his fist with his blade, but was pushed back a considerable distance by the overwhelming force.

He swiftly ducked under a follow up punch and attempted to slash Ichigo in half. However, much to his and everybody else's disbelief, it only cut Ichigo instead of cleaving through him.

Kenpachi himself seemed enthusiastic, "That's some tough skin you've got…I actually put some strength in that swing too."

For some reason, Ichigo felt intense anger swelling inside of him at the condescending tone the warrior used against him. "I'm not weak…" Ichigo spoke angrily quickly alarming everyone present.

Ikkaku's jaw hit the ground, "Did that Gillian just talk?!"

"This one's special Kenny! You gotta get him!" Yachiru chanted with equal enthusiasm. The Adjucha on Ichigo's shoulder was the most surprised of all by his actions, '_Most Gillians don't speak…even the ones that gain dominant awareness. What's with White? He's more than just a normal hollow…_'

From out of nowhere, a short white haired man appeared nearby, "Captain Zaraki…I heard there was a Menos invasion. What's the situation?!"

"Captain Hitsugaya?!" Ikkaku said surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help…captain commander's orders," Toshiro replied with a quick sigh at the end.

Kenpachi simply chuckled, "You came late…we killed almost all of them."

"Almost all of them? So are those the last two hollows?" Toshiro asked as he examined the White menos and the wounded Adjucha.

He quickly furrowed his eyebrows, "I was under the impression this was an emergency…squad 11 couldn't handle this on their own?"

"You say the old man sent you eh? Bah…he loves overkill I guess," Zaraki shrugged.

"That white Menos Grande is tougher than it looks, Captain Hitsugaya…it's trying to fight Captain Zaraki," a random squad eleven member commented.

Toshiro simply crossed his arms, "Well hurry up and finish it off then…our orders are to neutralize the Adjucha Raptor."

"Yeah yeah…I'll take care of it," Kenpachi chuckled before charging Ichigo with his sword reared back. This time he swung with much greater force after dodging Ichigo's swings.

He was going straight for the mask. Moments before he got there, Ichigo grabbed him. Hitsugaya watched shocked, '_What the?! Is Captain Zaraki messing around or did he really just let a Menos grab him?!_'

Kenpachi seemed surprised, "You're fast…I'll give you that. Normally you overgrown Menos can't move for shit."

Yachiru grimaced in pain as she felt herself being squeezed between Kenpachi and Ichigo's fist. Getting a closer look at Ichigo's mask, the Squad eleven captain could see his eyes more clearly. The red markings that went down the side accentuated him with a feral appearance.

The hollow's haunting gold irises stared at Kenpachi almost evilly as Ichigo squeezed tighter. Kenpachi quickly broke free as he sliced through Ichigo's hand and backed off. He seemed a bit more serious as the hand immediately regenerated.

Ichigo looked down at it for a moment before looking up and laughing. The sight of a Menos Grande laughing was disturbing to say the least as Hitsugaya reflexively reached for his blade's hilt.

The white Gillian's laughter intensified as his hand fully reformed. Afterward, Ichigo held up his hand with the palm outstretched. Kenpachi cocked an eyebrow before he noticed a red beam charging in the hollow's palm.

"What the hell?!" he smirked.

"Captain Zaraki don't let your guard down!" Hitsugaya shouted. As the cero charged in Ichigo's hand, he aimed it at Kenpachi. This one was just as large as the previous one, but this time it was black with a red outline instead of red with white.

Right as he released his attack, Ichigo changed its trajectory at the last second killing many of the Squad eleven members watching from the sidelines. Ichigo quickly arced it towards the vast majority of weaker Shinigami killing many of them.

Hitsugaya was alarmed, and angry to say the least, "Damn it Zaraki, what are you doing! Kill that thing now!"

"Captain! The squad!" Ikkaku shouted horrified.

After his blast finished, Ichigo looked towards the Shinigami with malicious hatred brewing within him. He spoke one word which caused a sharp shiver to run down the survivors' spines, "Revenge!"

Kenpachi seemed indifferent to most of his squad dying, but had a look of disapproval, "This fight was between us…why'd you have to go and do something like that? Now I have to end this battle right away."

"Bankai!" Hitsugaya shouted quickly alarming the survivors. Out of nowhere, Rangiku appeared, "Captain, what's going on! I scouted the area like you said and-"

"Argh!" Toshiro roared as he flew towards Ichigo poised to kill him in one attack. He seemed angrier than Kenpachi about so many Shinigami deaths.

However, before he could reach them, a massive Garganta was torn open behind Ichigo by the Adjucha. He quickly fired a cero with his remaining arm, slowing the encroaching captain. He shouted at Ichigo seriously, "Get out of here now! You're not strong enough to defeat them yet!"

For some reason, Ichigo felt obligated to obey as he backed away into the Garganta and closed it behind himself. Kenpachi came charging along with Toshiro both trying to stop him, but right as they reached him, his mask was all that was left visible in the closing Garganta.

"What's your name, hollow!?" Kenpachi asked interested.

Right before the Garganta snapped shut, Ichigo spoke darkly, "White…"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Back in Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo passed back through the Garganta and soon found himself back inside the dark forest from before. The wounded Adjucha on his back let out a sigh of relief, "Damned Shinigamis…I wasn't expecting them to send captains. They're normally too high and mighty to leave their precious little Soul Society."

The Adjucha jumped off Ichigo's shoulder and landed on a nearby rock formation. Ichigo stared at him unsure of what to do now. The Adjucha turned around slowly and growled bitterly, "You're a Gillian and you're already more powerful than I am. It seems like a waste for me to hold you back."

The White Gillian cocked his head confused. The Adjucha looked up at him and sighed, "You have that real killer instinct…I rather enjoyed the way you took those arrogant Shinigamis down a peg. You are indeed the most interesting Gillian I have ever seen. You're clearly destined for greatness."

The hollow Ichigo said nothing as he did not fully understand where the conversation was leading. Raptor stared at him for a moment before explaining, "You are a Gillian…your next step in evolution is an Adjucha like me. But beyond that…is the elite Vasto Lordes. Only the most powerful, unbreakable hollows have the will and the instinct to reach this level of evolution. If that display back there was any indication, then I know for a fact that you will become the most powerful hollow in all of Hueco Mundo. But remember this…you must take on an aspect and inherit a reason for doing so. What drives you beyond your own instinct? Revenge? Anger?"

He continued to stare at the Adjucha for a moment before speaking, "Protect."

The Adjucha seemed surprised by his response, "Protect me? Hmm…you're strange for a hollow. You'll find that Hueco Mundo isn't a merciful place for the weak. Those that protect others become targets. Protecting me would have gotten you killed had you been weaker."

"Raptor…alive." Ichigo spoke the Adjucha's name for the first time causing the smaller hollow to hang his head dejectedly.

Raptor shook his head, "Don't bother remembering my name…I'm likely little more than a stepping stone on your evolution. I want you to do something for me White…I want you to eat me."

Ichigo had a hard time understanding the command and cocked his head again. The Adjucha sighed again, "If you wish to evolve then you will have to consume other hollows. If you wish to retain your individuality then you must never stop until you become a Vasto Lorde."

The white Gillian stared at him for a moment unsure if he should obey the command or not. Raptor noticed his hesitation and sighed, "Do it. I just have one request…use your power to destroy Shinigamis."

The Gillian stared at him indifferently, but Ichigo couldn't help but feel the idea was distasteful. Raptor clearly noticed his doubt and spoke sternly, "Follow your instincts…become strong."

'_Become strong…_' Ichigo thought to himself. Suddenly a brief memory of the orange haired human dying to a lesser hollow flashed through his mind.

Not one moment of hesitation followed as picked up Raptor and consumed him whole. Ichigo quickly consumed the Adjucha and felt his powers grow. Yet as he consumed his fellow hollow, he felt a strange hunger overcome his senses. Despite just feasting, he was suddenly hungrier than before. He felt an indescribable narcotic feeling at gaining his fellow hollow's power. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he soon began to hunt down nearby Gillians and gorged himself in a cannibalistic feeding frenzy.

Every time he ate another Gillian, he felt as if he could think clearer. Brief flashes of his mortal life would return on occasion which only seemed to fuel his hunger more. This continued for a long undetermined amount of time.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society Squad One Meeting XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Captain Zaraki, I believe I misread your report. You say a white Gillian class Menos Grande was responsible for the deaths of one hundred of your squad members?!" Captain Commander Yamamoto demanded sternly.

Kenpachi nodded his head, "Yeah…he was stronger and faster than the other Gillians, but he was pretty smart too. He even spoke…"

"Apparently it was getting revenge against us for killing all of its fellow hollows. From what I understand, Squad eleven made quick work of their army, but the Adjucha and the White Gillian were the giving them some trouble," Toshiro added with an evident distant tone in his voice.

His explanation greatly surprised many of the other captains who found the idea of a hollow having complicated feelings preposterous.

"And this hollow was allowed to escape?!" Yamamoto practically bellowed.

Hitsugaya quickly shook his head, "Head Captain, it retreated before we could reach it. I was prepared to kill it with my bankai after Captain Zaraki failed to take it seriously."

Kenpachi narrowed his gaze at the short white haired captain, "Something you wanna say to me?"

"Nothing that should said in front of our peers…" Toshiro countered with an angry stare.

Yamamoto sighed angrily, "Never underestimate any foe, ever…your careless actions caused the deaths of many under your command Captain Zaraki."

"I'll kill it the next time I see it…don't you worry about it old man," Kenpachi replied with a bloodthirsty grin.

"Like hell you will! Your ridiculous behavior at dragging out fights got people killed! If anything I'll take care of it." Toshiro shouted.

Both captains sent death glares at one another before Yamamoto quickly intervened, "That is enough of this childish bickering! I want all the information you have on this hollow…I will decide how to deal with it accordingly."

Kyoraku shook his head, "Jeez…this White Menos Grande must have been something else. I'm surprised you didn't just kill it with one attack. Gillians aren't that strong compared to a captain."

"It actually survived a slash from my blade…" Kenpachi noted as if it were an amazing feat.

"Before it fled to Hueco Mundo, the Gillian told us its name…it calls itself White," Toshiro spoke to Yamamoto.

The captain commander nodded, "I see…can you describe its appearance in detail to your fellow captains?"

"Yes, Head captain…it had a white robe instead of a black making it very unique amongst Gillians. The Mask was also strangely feral in appearance. It had red markings going down either side near its eyes. It also had forward facing horns instead of the pointed nose most Gillians have. As you've heard already, it was capable of basic speech and was extremely fast. The attack it used to kill many squad eleven members with was some kind of black cero."

"That thing wouldn't have escaped if I was there. Even if I had to use my bankai," Soifon stated seriously.

Byakuya decided to speak up surprisingly, "This creature will only become more powerful the longer we ignore it. I would make sure the ranks are informed of its likeness and report any sightings immediately."

"This hollow is going to be like the boogie man for the young guys…" Kyoraku said with a slight hint of amusement.

Amongst the captains, three in particular were silently surprised by the news of this strange hollow. Tousen thought for a moment, '_White…isn't that the name of the experimental hollow? I thought it was dead. Why would a hollow call itself White?_'

Aizen was almost grinning at the news, '_So…that's where you've been Ichigo Kurosaki. Hmm…perhaps I should delay my plans of betrayal until he fully evolves. I wasn't expecting Rukia Kuchiki to show up late…no matter. It would seem white has fused souls with Ichigo and become this new hollow. I will make him an arrancar once he fully evolves…he will be the instrument of my victory. Everything always seems to go my way…even if plans change_.'

He was quickly brought from his mental monologue by Gin, "You seem deep in thought, Captain Aizen…"

The brown haired man pushed up his glasses and shook his head, "I am saddened by the loss of many fine young Shinigamis to this creature. It might be in our best interest to track it down."

Yamamoto looked over at Aizen intently, "Are you volunteering to find this Hollow, Captain Aizen?"

"I will do my best to monitor hollow sightings, Head Captain. Leave this matter to me," Aizen replied coolly.

"Very well, since you are a third party, and a reliable captain, I will entrust this matter to you," Yamamoto stated causing Kenpachi and Toshiro to scowl in disapproval.

"If there is nothing else, then this meeting is Adjourned…make sure all of your subordinates are aware of this Hollow, 'White.'" Yamamoto ordered.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Not really the most original story, I know. I've seen some Ichigo hollow/arrancar stories before, but I just felt like making one myself. If Ichigo seems a bit out of character, that's because I kind of wanted to combine his and his hollow's personalities. That aside, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I found inspiration for this after rewatching Bleach recently. Not sure how far it'll go, since I'm busy with my other story and real life stuff, but I had fun writing it. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Evolution**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo had no way of knowing if it had been days or months since his feeding frenzy began. Yet as he consumed his final Gillian, he felt a strange sensation as his body began to shrink and transform. His thoughts seemed much clearer as his metamorphosis finished, '_Have I become like him? Am I an Adjucha now?_'

He examined himself closely. He was now smaller than before, but possessed a very unusual appearance. Ichigo found himself now resembling a western dragon. His skin was pure white, but had many red markings adorning it. He had four legs with very sharp claws, a long white tail with a red tip. He also seemed to possess wings. Two large forward facing horns came from the side of his head and a large mane of hair that ran from his head all the way down his back. The hair was orange clearly distinguishing him as a bright target.

Though he couldn't see them, his eyes were still the same gold with black sclera. He looked at his appearance interested for a moment, '_I'm an Adjucha…there's no doubt._'

A brief flash of the orange haired human caught his attention again, '_What was his name though? Is White my real name?_'

The white dragon instantly noticed a nearby lesser hollow watching him from a distance. For some reason, he could sense things much better than he had been able to previously. Ichigo grinned maliciously, "I'm still hungry…"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Many Months Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The sound of wings flapping quickly caught the attention of every Hollow in the forest as the terrifying Adjucha known as White flew looking for any unsuspecting prey. A large assembly of Gillians proved little match as he quickly swooped down and consumed them all one by one. As he consumed the last one Ichigo growled annoyed, '_These weak souls can barely sate me for a minute…how am I going to become stronger eating these things anymore? I think I've scared all of the other Adjuchas away…where did they go?_'

He took off again as he flew around the forest. '_It feels like an eternity since I woke up here…is there no way out? Maybe I should go to the world of the living?_'

His attention was brought back to reality as a strange source of reiatsu caught his attention. He sniffed the air as he felt it, '_That's no Hollow…_'

Ichigo immediately flew towards the source of this spiritual energy curious to see what it was. Upon reaching his destination, he noticed a very unusual sight. A man was there adorned in Shinigami attire with a mask on his face.

He had a large number of lesser hollows surrounding him. The dragon Adjucha watched curiously as the man warded off waves of them. The warrior seemed to be gaining the upper hand until an Adjucha appeared. This hollow resembled a lanky bipedal creature with long claws and a strange shaped head.

The Adjucha growled at the man, "No more hiding, Shinigami…your days of killing our kind in the Menos Forest is over!"

Right as the adjucha charged in for an attack, a blade of some kind intercepted him. From out of nowhere two more Shinigamis appeared. With their combined effort, they made quick work of the adjucha. As the masked one raised his blade for the killing blow, Ichigo swooped down and blocked him.

All three of the robed warriors jumped back with evident fear as the hollow dragon in front of them shrieked.

"What the hell is that thing?! Is it another Adjucha?! I've never seen an Adjucha like that before…" one of them said shocked. The downed Adjucha behind Ichigo quickly leapt to his feet and began to run away. It was evident he already knew who Ichigo was. He didn't make it far as the dragon chased and pinned him down. Ichigo wasted no time consuming the other Adjucha increasing his power even more.

Afterwards, he turned towards the three Shinigami who all stood there fear stricken. The one in the mask was the first to speak, "I've heard rumors there was a powerful hollow in this forest by the name of White…that must be him."

"That Adjucha he just ate was the Lord of the Menos Forest! How are we going to fight that thing?!" another one panicked.

"We need to move, now! We didn't come all this way to rescue you from Hueco Mundo just to die!" the man shouted, but before he could make another move, Ichigo charged a cero between his two horns. The cero grew to an unbelievable size before firing in their direction. It glassed nearly everything in a frontal cone for miles.

Afterward Ichigo laughed, "I hate Shinigamis…"

No trace of the Shinigamis could be seen afterward. Ichigo simply snorted before taking off into the air again. As he flew higher, he looked up, '_I wonder how high this place goes. I've never fully explored the canopy of this forest._'

After a lot of flying, Ichigo finally emerged through an opening in the forest finding himself under a darkened moonlit sky in a vast desert. He looked around curiously, '_I had no idea there was a desert up here? Emptiness in all directions. Where should I go now? I need more souls to feast on_.'

Seconds later he sensed a powerful presence in the distance, '_What is that?! Another adjucha? Yes! I need more!_'

He flew towards the power source at remarkable speed, and quickly reached it. Upon his arrival, the dragon Adjucha noticed a peculiar sight. A small group of Adjuchas were feasting on several downed hollows. They had varying appearances, but from what he could sense, the one that looked like a panther was the strongest.

All of their gazes shot up towards the dragon with awe. "Grimmjow, look! That Adjucha looks powerful!"

One of them said.

The panther roared with blood lust, "Get him!"

As the group tried to assault Ichigo, he quickly tail swept the panther knocking it to the ground. The others were all too afraid to attack as Ichigo followed up by charging a cero between his horns. Right before it was about to launch however, the Panther pounced on his face throwing off the trajectory.

Ichigo's cero fired behind them into the distance. The blast was overwhelmingly powerful as its pressure resounded throughout the night sky. The panther tried to bite Ichigo, but failed as the dragon head butted him. Grimmjow was about to follow up with another attack before one of his allies called out to him, "Grimmjow we should retreat. This one's too strong!"

"Like hell, we're retreating! We'll never become Vasto Lordes unless we kill powerful hollows!" The panther growled in annoyance.

Ichigo finally spoke for the first time in a threatening manner, "I was wondering where all the other Adjuchas were…I ate all of the ones in the Menos Forest."

One of the group's members had widened eyes, "Grimmjow…back off. If he's who I think he is, then we don't stand a chance."

"Who the hell are you supposed to be then?" the panther asked irritably.

The dragon stared down at him carelessly, "My name is White…"

Grimmjow soon noticed all of his companions running away. He reluctantly looked back at them before turning towards Ichigo, "What are they so afraid of? It's not like any Adjucha in Hueco Mundo can match me anyway. I'm the king!"

"King of what? There's nothing here to rule…" Ichigo countered causing the panther to stare at him distraught.

"Those damn eyes…stop looking down at me! I don't care how strong you are! Nothing's going to stop me from becoming a Vasto Lorde!" The panther roared.

The dragon laughed causing an echoing cackle to fill the air, "I have yet to encounter another hollow strong enough to stop me…care to put that theory to the test, cat?!"

Grimmjow pounced on Ichigo with anger radiating every fabric of his being. The panther rabidly slashed and bit, leaving large lacerations, but to his surprise, they healed unnaturally fast. Blue reiastu seemed to collect around the panther's claws as he pounced in for another flurry of swipes.

Some hit, but many were blocked as Ichigo thrashed back against him following up with a powerful tail swipe. Grimmjow leapt back on his hind legs much to Ichigo's surprise and swished his front legs in an X pattern unleashing tremendous blue arcs of energy similar to a cero.

Ichigo flew up and dodged them, but was surprised when the large cat leapt onto him midair. Grimmjow did his best to tear, claw, and bite one of Ichigo's wings, but quickly found himself thrown off as Ichigo spun in a circle.

He sunk his claws in deeper trying to hold on, but was unable to as Ichigo's tail wrapped around his throat. He bit at it trying to free himself, but was ineffective. Ichigo flaked the panther off sending him spiraling to the ground.

Looking down at the recovering panther below, be charged a cero between his horns. Much to his surprise, the panther charged one from his mouth.

The two ceros collided in a flashy display, but Grimmjow quickly found Ichigo's was much stronger as the pressure began to crush him. In a moment of inspiration he ceased his attack before leaping away in time to not get hit by it.

Ichigo landed on the ground looking around for the panther, and was genuinely surprised as it dove out of the sand attempting to bite his neck.

Unfortunately, Grimmjow wasn't fast enough as Ichigo's front leg back handed him away. He quickly jumped back and panted heavily, "You're strong, White…I'll give you that, but I've never encountered a foe I couldn't defeat! I'm the king!"

"Not anymore…I'm the king now!" Ichigo shot back as he dove towards the panther at terrifying speed. Grimmjow could barely brace himself in time as Ichigo sunk his teeth into the large cat. He roared in pain as Ichigo flew higher into the air biting harder.

In a last ditch effort, Grimmjow writhed in a berserk frenzy clawing rapidly for freedom. He managed to break free right before Ichigo smashed him into the ground. Blood was leaking from the panther adjucha's wounds as he limped a considerable distance away.

"Damn you…White! I won't be killed…not now! Not after all the fighting I've done!" Grimmjow roared angrily.

The dragon cocked his head at him before speaking, "What makes you think I'm going to kill you?"

The panther gave him a confused expression, "What?! The hell are you talking about?!"

Ichigo simply shrugged, "You're the first opponent I've encountered who actually put up a halfway decent fight. You've got more willpower than any other hollow I've encountered so far. I'd say that alone is reason enough to spare your life."

"Don't you pity me, damn it!" Grimmjow growled.

"It's not pity…it's respect. Would you rather die for no reason here and now?" he countered.

The panther was silent for a moment before sighing, "I guess not…"

Ichigo was about to say something else before he sensed an extremely powerful source of reiatsu closing in on him. Grimmjow seemed to notice as well as his eyes turned towards the direction of the incoming hollows. The large cat simply sighed, "It seems you've attracted quite the crowd. That spiritual pressure is coming straight from Las Noches. I'd be wary about going near the hollows from that place. It might be in your best interest to leave as well."

"Las Noches?" Ichigo questioned confused.

Grimmjow looked at him dumbfounded, "Yeah, the palace…it's where one of the Vasto Lordes is. He took up residence some time back. He likes to come out here and kill aspiring Adjuchas for sport."

"I've yet to encounter a Vasto Lorde…I wouldn't mind testing the strength of one," Ichigo chuckled.

"Suit yourself, White…I guess I'll take your offer and leave with my life." Grimmjow finally replied shaking his head at the dragon.

Without another word, the panther took off in the direction of his subordinates. Before he got too far away he turned back to face Ichigo, "The name's Grimmjow by the way…remember it, White. If you survive, I hope to fight you again one day. There can only be one King…"

Shortly after Grimmjow left, the arrival of a very large group of Adjuchas showed up. Leading them was a robed Skeleton of some kind who had a crown on his head.

Ichigo looked at him curiously, '_He looks almost human compared to the others…despite being a skeleton. His power feels ridiculously strong_. _Is he a Vasto Lorde?_'

The Skeleton King hollow examined the dragon, "Are you the one responsible for that cero just now?"

The dragon looked at him indifferently causing the crowned skeleton to cackle, "You will speak when I ask a question, Adjucha…do you understand?!"

"Who are you?" Ichigo finally asked curiously.

Suddenly the skeleton drew a colossal axe and pointed it at him, "Kneel before your superior…I am the King of Hueco Mundo."

"You're not the first hollow I've encountered to claim something like that. What makes you think you're King of anything here? What makes you my King?" Ichigo asked threateningly.

The skeleton growled at him menacingly, "I am Barragan…a Vasto Lorde! I will make you die for your arrogance. Kill him!"

Suddenly many of his Adjucha underlings leapt for Ichigo from all sides. He moved incredibly fast as he took each one down with tail and claw swipes. As he was doing this, he charged a red and white cero between his horns and aimed it at Barragan.

The attack hit much to his Adjucha entourages' surprise. It didn't kill him like Ichigo expected however. This was the first hollow he had ever encountered to survive a direct hit from his cero. Barragan laughed at his reaction, "You expect attacks like that to be effective against me?! I'm King for a reason!"

The Vasto Lorde grabbed his axe and flew towards Ichigo ready to behead him. Much to his surprise however, Ichigo impaled him with one of his horns.

The dragon roared furiously as he charged a black and red cero between his horns. Barragan attempted to release a strange miasma as Ichigo's cero grew larger. It seemed to negate the attack's brunt force but was quick to launch the Vasto Lorde away. Ichigo felt his horn start to deteriorate from contact with the miasma, but much to every one of Barragans followers' surprise the horn regenerated faster than it could deteriorate.

Barragan himself seemed bewildered by it, "What the…"

"That attack just now…I can see why other hollows would fear it," Ichigo spoke calmly.

The Vasto Lorde shook his head, "You should be dead…nobody can withstand time itself!"

"Well, nobody except for me apparently…" Ichigo said wickedly.

The King of Hueco Mundo gripped his axe tighter, "You think you're the first hollow to challenge my rule?! You're not even a Vasto Lorde…and I've killed them too!"

"You keep saying you're the King…King of what?! This empty desert? These mindless weaklings surrounding us? You can claim whatever you like, Barragan…but in the end, you're nothing but empty words fading from my memory," Ichigo taunted.

"Lord Barragan…I believe I know who this hollow is. His description matches the Scourge of the Menos Forest. That hollow is White, the Devourer!" one of Barragan's adjucha lieutenants spoke worriedly.

"Shut your mouth Ggio…this arrogant creature will die for even humoring the thought that he could ever stand on my level!" Barragan announced angrily.

"I will stand above your level right after I turn you into dust!" Ichigo howled as he flew towards the King. Barragan swiftly ducked under the dragons massive sweep and swung his axe with both hands cleaving Ichigo dead center in the chest.

Barragan pushed the axe deeper as he held it in Ichigo's flesh. This time, his body was deteriorating faster than it could regenerate. The King of Hueco Mundo grinned almost triumphantly as he believed himself already victorious.

Much to his surprise, however, Ichigo grabbed the Vasto Lorde with both of his front legs and pointed both horns directly at Barragan's bony head. Drawing as much power as he possibly could, Ichigo charged another cero between his horns. This time however, it seemed as if it was absorbing all the nearby reishi causing it to swell to an enormous size.

Before Barragan could do anymore damage to him, Ichigo released the attack at point blank range causing unbelievable damage to Barragan and everything behind him for miles. His body appeared greatly damaged as half his face was blown off as well as both arms. The King didn't get up for a moment greatly alarming his underlings.

Ichigo's face was visibly surprised when Barragan began to regenerate. He wasted no time flying away shortly afterward. As he flew higher in the air, he shook his head annoyed, '_Damn…I wasn't expecting everything to be so powerful up here. I'm really going to have to watch my back now. I won't be able to kill him until I become a Vasto Lorde. Maybe for now, it's best that I do what Grimmjow said, and stay away from Las Noches,_' Ichigo concluded.

After getting a considerable distance away, his body slowly began to replenish its lost sections. Ichigo felt relief as he touched down and took a breather. He was deep in thought as he watched the last of his wounds heal. Unfortunately, he still felt constant pain in the areas as if his body was fighting against the miasma. It left a blackened and nasty scar clearly reminding him of where Barragan's axe struck, '_If it wasn't for my regenerative powers, I'd have died countless times now. Or worse…he would have halted my evolution_. _I'm still in pain from that cheap shot. I can see why so many follow him_.'

After a brief respite he thought to himself, '_So many others had the capability…but were in the wrong place at the wrong time. One wrong move here and I'm dead. I should get my arrogance in check_.'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Many months later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo had been playing things safer during the past few months. The more time he spent on the surface, the sooner he began to realize that he was far too noticeable. Every hollow even remotely powerful, wanted a piece of him. Many were too afraid to fight alone much to his annoyance.

His orange hair, and intimidating appearance had a certain presence about them as it seemed to have drawn countless numbers of hunting parties. It seemed as if getting the glory of killing him was a prize that everyone wanted. Thankfully none of Barragan's underlings had even attempted to come after him again much to his approval. They were likely too afraid since they had seen his power firsthand. There was of course no denying how lucky he had been to not encounter any other Vasto Lordes in the past weeks, but Ichigo couldn't help but feel like he was always being followed.

It made it impossible to ever relax or sleep with the fear of being ambushed ever present in his mind. On several occasions he had run into remarkably powerful Adjuchas like himself, but they almost never attacked him head on.

Ichigo landed on a dune and took a breather as he looked up towards the moon. For some reason, it was the most comforting sight in Hueco Mundo. In fact, he loved staring at it so much that he sometimes wondered how he ever lived for so long in the Menos Forest without its comforting light.

He was quickly drawn out of his bliss as the sound of footsteps caught his attention. He jerked his head towards the source and spotted a hollow carrying a weapon of some sort. It had four legs similar to that of a horse or deer, but waist up, its body appeared human. A skull mask completely covered the face, but he could see aquamarine hair flowing from behind the mask. This hollow appeared feminine due to the sight of curves as well.

It didn't take him long to figure out that this was a Vasto Lorde due to its small size but incredible Reiatsu. The female Vasto Lorde approached him cautiously watching his eyes follow her. She slowly circled around in front of him and looked at the wound on his chest.

He couldn't tell underneath the mask, but Ichigo had a feeling she was frowning. The female Vasto Lorde spoke sadly, "Another poor soul poisoned by Barragan…it's remarkable you haven't died to it yet."

He gave her a bewildered expression as she gently placed a hand on his chest feeling his blackened wound, "Your body is fighting it, but the constant regeneration is clearly straining you."

"Who are you? What do you want?" Ichigo asked defensively.

She jabbed her weapon into the ground next to him and held her arms up, "Calm yourself Adjucha…I mean you no harm. I'm already a Vasto Lorde. I have no reason to attack you."

He immediately brushed her off before backing away with a poised glare, "Don't touch me…"

Before he could react however, the female Vasto Lorde opened her mouth fully and hacked a large wad of spit directly on his wound. He immediately took it the wrong way and began to charge a cero between his horns. He fired it without hesitation but was shocked when the Vasto Lorde simply swallowed the cero.

She tilted her head to the right and released the swallowed cero into the distance. Ichigo simply stared dumbfounded as the female hollow glanced back at him.

He was in a state of disbelief, '_Damn it! These Vasto Lordes are ridiculously strong! She negated my cero entirely!_'

"Relax, Adjucha…" the female hollow sighed as she took several steps closer. He stood there frozen as she reached up and began to smear her saliva over his wound. Much to his shock, the blackened wound inflicted by Barragan slowly began to fade.

His tension eased slightly as he allowed her to continue, but he stared warily ready for any sign of deception. She spit on his wound again and continued to massage it until finally the blackened wound was gone.

Ichigo was truly at a loss of words. This immensely powerful Vasto Lorde not only just enfeebled his attack, but healed his wound as well. After a brief and very awkward silence he finally spoke, "Why? What are you doing this for?"

"I've been watching you for a while…You're the one they call White. It was very brave of you to challenge a Vasto Lorde as an Adjucha…especially Barragan. I admire your courage," the female Vasto Lorde spoke pleasantly.

"You've been following me?!" he asked with a tone of displeasure.

"Off and on, but never for long…I simply tracked you down after hearing about what you did against Barragan. You're all the talk amongst the higher ups in Hueco Mundo. I've seen Vasto Lordes challenge Barragan before, and fail miserably. None have ever succeeded in even wounding him which is why most hollows in Hueco Mundo fear the King. Only the most powerful Vasto Lordes don't…but they don't really care about challenging his rule." she explained.

"You still haven't told me who you are…" Ichigo interrupted.

"My name is Neliel Tu Odelschwanck…but you can call me Nel," she replied.

"Nel…thanks for healing me. Though I'm really curious why you would do such a thing? What's your angle?" the dragon questioned seriously.

Nel simply shrugged, "I just thought I'd help you is all…"

"Why? Helping others here is a sign of weakness…" he said disapprovingly.

She shook her head at his remark, "You don't truly believe that…otherwise you would have slain that panther Adjucha."

"So you have been stalking me…what are you implying then, Nel?" he asked imposingly.

She picked up her lance and began to walk away, "You won't survive in this place all by yourself. And even if you could, would you really want to? The path of solitude leads to self-destruction. You'll never fill the hole in your heart with that attitude."

Her words seemed to cut deep as he growled angrily, "And what's that supposed to mean?!"

"You can have all the power in Hueco Mundo…but what does it mean if you have nothing to spend it on? Think about it, White…" She said softly before disappearing.

Ichigo huffed at her remark, '_What utter nonsense…relying on others is too dangerous in this place! I don't need anyone…_'

Though right as he finished his thought he began to think about all the hunting parties that had come after him. The dragon looked down for a moment, '_Though all of them travel in groups. Even that Grimmjow guy had a pack of followers_. _Barragan's got an army practically…maybe she's right._'

He briefly remembered his time as a Gillian and his epic encounter against the Shinigamis there. Ichigo tried to recall the feeling that gave him so much drive to fight. He had been fighting and surviving in Hueco Mundo for so long that it was difficult to recall.

After a minute, Ichigo's eyes widened as if a revelation had just occurred. His memories flashed back to his time as a human. He had two sisters…he couldn't remember their names, let alone his own, but he wanted to protect them.

'_To protect…didn't I tell Raptor that a long time ago?_' he wondered to himself. These thoughts were haunting to the dragon adjucha as he aimlessly flew for hours in search of his next meal.

Noticing a cave near a large rock formation, he decided to risk going there for some rest. Ichigo touched down softly and studied the area warily for any occupants. There appeared to be none, but he couldn't help but feel as if there was a reason for that.

Nevertheless, he ventured inside the cave and continued to study it for close to half an hour. Finally deciding it was safe enough to rest in, he sprawled against the side of the cave wall in a defensive position. His eyes closed slowly as he began to relax for the first time in ages.

Hollows didn't necessarily require sleep, but the lack of it, was clearly not in one's best interest if they wished to remain vigorous and alert.

Ichigo rested for what felt like days, which in reality could have only been a few hours. It was impossible to tell time in Hueco Mundo. Nevertheless, his slumber was cut short when he soon felt something slithering on him.

His eyes shot open just in time to realize a large bony centipede like Adjucha had him wrapped. It was alarmed by his awakening and instantly tried to constrict him.

He effortlessly broke free from the creature before a scorpion Adjucha burst from the ground. It tried to grab him with its claws, and quickly followed up with a stinger attack.

Ichigo's tail wrapped the scorpion's at the last second preventing entry as his front legs easily overpowered the scorpion's claws.

He tossed both insect like Adjuchas aside easily and distanced himself to the cave entrance where he could see them better.

Despite their different forms, their masks appeared identical. He examined the two Adjuchas curiously. Though they resembled insects, they had almost human shaped torsos near their fronts. The centipede Adjucha's legs were similar to bladed spikes. She also seemed to possess two large tentacle like appendages for arms. The scorpion Adjucha had scorpion claws on her lower body but had almost human like arms with bladed extensions coming from her torso. Their masks were identical which was quite an unusual coincidence. Ichigo couldn't help but admire their appearance, '_These two would be intimidating to lesser Adjuchas_.' The centipede one spoke first, "Damn, he woke up…you should have been ready Menoly."

"Easier said than done, Loly…I wasn't expecting him to react that fast," the scorpion replied.

"There's no excuse sister…our ambushes never fail. You hesitated!" Loly shouted at her sister.

The scorpion examined Ichigo more closely, "Wait…that's not just any dragon Adjucha. Do you see that orange orange hair?! Then that means…he's White!"

"What?! Don't be ridiculous! I'm sure there are plenty of dragon Adjuchas with orange hair…plus if that guy was actually White then we'd already be dead!" her sister shot back.

Normally, he would have simply killed both of them without mercy, but he couldn't help but feel amused by their bickering. Not to mention the coincidental fact that they had identical masks.

Ichigo finally interrupted their arguing, "Actually, my name is White…"

"Oh shit…" Menoly said worriedly.

"We're screwed then!" Loly said with widened eyes.

The dragon sighed at their behavior, "Am I that infamous?"

"What are you kidding me?! Everyone in Hueco Mundo knows who you are…lots of the Adjuchas are submitting to Barragan just to get protection against you in Las Noches," Loly replied.

Ichigo carelessly snorted, "Whatever…I'm leaving."

"So wait! You're not going to kill us?" Menoly asked surprised.

He briefly glanced back, "I can if you want me too…I mean you did just try to kill me."

"We're so sorry…please don't kill us, White! We don't like King Barragan either!" Menoly tried to justify.

Her sister seemed annoyed by Menoly's quick submissiveness and huffed, "Don't kiss his ass, Menoly…he'll probably just kill us anyway."

"So you two don't like Barragan either huh? Why's that?" Ichigo asked curiously.

Loly scoffed at his question, "What kind of stupid question is that? You clearly haven't been on the surface for long if you don't know what kind of ruler he is."

"If his terrible personality is anything to go by then I would assume I do know…" Ichigo responded.

"So why aren't you going to kill us?" Loly taunted causing her sister's eyes to widen with concern, "Loly! Don't antagonize him!"

He shrugged, "You're both weak…eating you wouldn't really get me any closer to becoming a Vasto Lorde."

"Why you!" Loly began but her sister quickly silenced her, "Thank you for your mercy, White…we'll be rooting for your success."

"Yeah, maybe I'll see you two again one day… he replied before taking off into the sky.

After he left, Menoly sighed in relief, "You idiot…why were you trying to provoke him? Don't you know how powerful he is? He took on King Barragan and he's not even a Vasto Lorde."

"So what…just because he's strong doesn't mean we have to kiss his ass, Menoly. Plus I don't really think he's as strong as the rumors say he is. Otherwise he'd have succeeded," Loly stated.

"If you say so…" her sister sighed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Deep in the Desert several days later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After dispatching a powerful Adjucha hunting party, Ichigo felt a strange sensation. As he consumed them, his body began to glow. A pillar of Reiatsu radiated from him as his entire body was engulfed in power. He felt himself shrinking the more and more the power condensed. His dragon like form soon dissipated into a now bipedal, demonic looking creature. He had two blades for hands and his feet possessed talon like nails. He no longer had wings or a tail in this more humanoid form. His mask appeared the same, and kept his trademark forward facing horns.

Long orange hair reached all the way down to his back, and many of his red markings were now much darker. His pale hide from the waist down was now covered in what looked like armor skin. It was black and had many dark red markings covering it. Both arms had an almost natural looking bony pauldrons that reached from his shoulders all the way down to his bladed arms. Bony white extensions came from his elbows. His torso remained unarmored showing the natural paleness of his skin.

Markings all seemed to accentuate around the hollow hole in his chest as well.

Ichigo looked at his blade like arms curiously, '_What the hell are these? Bladefists?_' As he receded his power, the two blade arms receded revealing clawed white hands. He stared at them interested, '_That seems useful_…'

He looked at his new appearance with disbelief, '_If I've changed this much then that must mean…I finally did it. I'm a Vasto Lorde! Yes! Haha!_' Ichigo soon began to laugh in an almost maniacal joy.

"Finally!" he shrieked joyously.

Though in this moment of achievement, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming emptiness soon after. '_Now what am I supposed to do?_' A long moment of silence passed that felt like an eternity. Neliel's words echoed in his head as he thought for a moment, '_What should I spend my power on?_'

His attention was brought back to reality as he turned his gaze towards Las Noches' direction. It was nowhere in sight, but he knew which way it was. '_Barragan needs to die…_' However, before he could even move, a strange hollow landed in front of him.

It had unusual resemblance to a bat human hybrid, but possessed no mouth. Ichigo stared at the creature curiously. It was difficult to read this hollow's reaction, but Ichigo was especially captivated by its haunting green eyes.

Part of him wondered if this other hollow could even speak. It didn't speak as he expected, but the Hollow's eyes clearly indicated that it appeared curious about him. It seemed especially curious about his own reaction.

Neither one said a word to the other as they slowly circled locking gazes. '_What's with this hollow? He's definitely a Vasto Lorde like me…but what's with that mask? He doesn't have a mouth? He be must powerful then…a hollow with no need to feed would have to be._' Ichigo thought as his golden black eyes continued staring at the bat Vasto Lorde.

The other Vasto Lorde stared at Ichigo with unrefined curiosity, '_I sensed his transformation from miles away. He must have just evolved. He looks quite strange. But his hole…and his skin…they're similar to mine._' Ulquiorra thought.

Ichigo half expected the other hollow to attack or challenge him as it slowly approached. The creature's green eyes seemed tragically empty. The bat like Vasto Lorde reached out and tried to touch his hollow hole which seemed unusual to him.

He slowly grabbed the other hollow's wrist and directed an uncertain suspicion through his haunting golden gaze, "What are you doing?" Ulquiorra stared at Ichigo's hollow hole before looking down at his own. The sight was unexpected.

For some reason, Ichigo's instincts told him that this creature had an instinctual affinity for him since they were similar in many ways. Both were extremely white, both had hollow holes dead center in their chest, and both were Vasto Lordes. In nature this would be akin to two creatures of the same species encountering another one of their kind for the first time. Ulquiorra seemed shocked when Ichigo mentioned this, "We're the same…aren't we? You're a loner too?"

'_He isn't afraid of me…he isn't affected by my power…he says we're the same?_' Ulquiorra thought to himself trying to process the idea.

"I guess you can't speak…but that's fine. Where are you from? I've never encountered a hollow like you before," Ichigo replied as he released Ulquiorra's wrist.

The green eyed hollow stared at him briefly before pointing into the distance. It was the opposite direction of Hueco Mundo.

"What's out there?" Ichigo wondered aloud.

Ulquiorra pointed at his hollow hole which Ichigo immediately figured was a the creature's way of saying 'nothing.'

"Are you going there?" Ichigo asked.

The bat like Vasto Lorde nodded his head, '_This is the first hollow who's ever tried to communicate with me like this…why is he curious about me? Why am I curious about him?_'

"Do you mind if I go with you?" Ichigo requested. He didn't know why, but for some reason, his instincts compelled him to stay with this other Vasto Lorde. Despite its unusual personality, Ichigo actually enjoyed this other hollow's passive disposition. Plus, he wasn't sure how rare Vasto Lordes really were. For two to encounter each other like this was something interesting.

Ulquiorra's eyes had confusion written all them, '_Why does he want to go with me? Nothing ever even wants to come near me. Does he really want my company? I've never had a companion before…_'

"I've been alone for a long time…I wouldn't mind the company of somebody like you. Neither one of us have a reason to kill a fellow Vasto Lorde I assume? Not to mention, you seem like somebody worth my time." Ichigo stated.

The green eyed creature nodded briefly. Inwardly, Ulquiorra couldn't describe what he was feeling, '_He said somebody…and not something. This is unusual…why would he desire my company? I can't even speak to him. This creature is very strange_.'

Reluctantly, Ulquiorra left and motioned for Ichigo to follow him. The bat like Lorde, couldn't help but ponder how things led to this, '_He's not afraid of me, like the others…so few can even stand in my presence. He seems unaffected. I can't understand his reason for wanting to follow me? Does he hope to gain a better understanding of what to do now that he's peaked his power?_'

Ichigo quickly caught up with the other hollow and glanced over at him as they flew, "Why did you approach me by the way? Did you want to gauge my power or were you just curious?"

Ulquiorra pointed behind them and then towards Ichigo before shaking his head. The orange haired hollow sighed, "I see…you were looking for something and just so happened to sense me?"

The other Vasto Lorde nodded. The more time he spent with Ulquiorra, the more he wished the other Vasto Lorde could speak to him. Ichigo cocked his head, "Do you support Barragan? Do you know anything about the other Vasto Lordes?"

Ulquiorra's eyes had a clear lack of concern written in them as he shook his head. He made a few gestures as he pointed to Ichigo and himself. He had a hard time comprehending the gestures, but from what he could surmise, this creature was implying that he did not know other hollows minus Ichigo.

Ichigo said nothing else as he simply continued following the green eyed hollow into the distance. This continued for a long time. Ulquiorra and Ichigo would often make eye contact as they tried to understand the other.

The bat like Vasto Lorde had an almost saddened look in his eyes as he would often look between Ichigo and the distant desert ahead, '_I wonder how long this will continue…it seems so strange to be in the company of another. I don't know what to do…does he expect me to take him somewhere? He did ask about where I was born. Maybe I should show him? Maybe he would understand?_'

Deciding on this, Ulquiorra continued to lead Ichigo further and further into the deep outskirts of Hueco Mundo. Ichigo had no way of knowing how long they had been traveling, but now that he was a Vasto Lorde, he didn't feel the overwhelming hunger he had before.

It felt like an eternity since the two set off on their journey. Very rarely were words spoken, but Ichigo had grown accustomed to the other hollow's way of silently gesturing things. Though this was unusual at first, a silent synchronization between their thoughts seemed to occur.

Ulquiorra had been leading him for a long time to what Ichigo could only assume was where he came from. Part of Ichigo rather enjoyed this other hollow's companionship. Despite their limited communication, he couldn't help but feel as if they belonged together. Having another to stand on your level and not be an enemy was something neither had ever experienced prior to their meeting.

Though during this time, Ichigo couldn't help but wonder how this other Vasto Lorde came into being. '_I'm the only other hollow he knows? I wonder if he doesn't know any others because he's too powerful and they're afraid to come near him? His inability to speak certainly wouldn't help in that aspect_…_This is unusual though. If he was born this far out, was he ever in the Menos Forest? Are the hollows out here different than the ones closer to Las Noches?_'

After a long, silent, but not unpleasant journey, the Vasto Lorde duo arrived at what Ichigo could only describe as the end of the world in Hueco Mundo. He and Ulquiorra both stood on a cliff edge overlooking a massive black pit. It looked as if it were a sea of emptiness…a void.

The green eyed hollow looked over at him and pointed to itself before motioning back at the blackened abyss below. Ichigo glanced down below immediately understanding, "You were born here?"

Ulquiorra nodded. The bat creature looked down below and back at Ichigo before holding out his hand. "Show me…" was all Ichigo said as he grabbed the other Vasto Lorde's hand. It seemed Ulquiorra didn't want them to get separated once they entered it.

They both ventured down for what felt like days. Their white forms, glowing eyes, and Ichigo's orange hair were the only sight the other could see during the descent. Upon reaching what he could only assume was the bottom, he could sense strange shadow like beings similar in appearance to Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra held up his finger and charged a whitened green cero illuminating them completely. Their silhouettes were difficult to make out in the darkness, but he soon realized they were all black as Ulquiorra's cero shined light on them. They also had mouths unlike Ulquiorra. Ichgo was quick to understand. The longer they spent here, the more he began to understand this other hollow.

The black hollows all fled from Ulquiorra's green cero, which was the only light that could be seen in this darkness. After they left, Ichigo could feel the other hollow clutching onto him tighter. '_He doesn't want to lose me in here? Is he afraid to be alone?_' Ichigo wondered curiously.

Ichigo spoke up slowly, "I understand now…you were born in this place? You're not like the others…you're different."

The saddened despairing green eyes were unreadable as Ulquiorra and Ichigo locked gazes. The orange haired Vasto Lorde shook his head, "You don't have to live in this pit…come with me. Being a hollow is difficult enough…you shouldn't have to live alone like this."

In that moment, Ulquiorra felt a very strange emotion which was completely alien to him, '_What is this feeling? It's as if a heavy weight is being lifted from my chest. Does he really want us to remain companions? I had never considered what he would say after showing him this place._'

Without warning, Ichigo began to ascend back up through the darkness, still holding onto Ulquiorra. Time seemed to pass very slowly as the two Vasto Lordes flew higher. During this time, Ulquiorra pondered heavily on that situation, '_How long have we been traveling together? It feels as if I have known him forever…why did I bring him here anyways? Why do I want him to understand me? He says he does…he says I'm different from the others, but like him? This darkness…this emptiness…he says I don't have to accept it? What else is there? What drives him to live?_'

As they flew up, Ulquiorra stared at the fiery orange hair flowing above him and the faint glow of moonlight barely reaching them. The horned hollow looked down at him right before they reached the Cliffside. Ichigo turned around and stared at Ulquiorra with the bright moonlight illuminating him. The bat Vasto Lorde could not describe the feelings that surged within him in that very moment, but he looked at Ichigo as if he were the moon in the sky.

'_Perhaps I can find my some meaning in this emptiness…through him. Another like myself…one who accepts what I am, and lives on. But I don't understand him…who is he?_' Ulquiorra finally concluded as the two landed on the Cliffside.

Ichigo turned around as he looked over the dark abyss one more time. The vasto lorde growled in disgust as he charged a cero between his horns. Ulquiorra backed away slightly as he watched with curiosity, '_What is he doing?_'

The cero between Ichigo's horns was colossal to say the least. He howled furiously as he fired the devastating red beam into the darkness. Ulquiorra was impressed by the display of power, but even more so as he noticed the cero illuminate the landscape below.

During his attack which seemed to last for minutes, Ichigo howled as furiously as he could. '_Does this place anger him? Why? What point is there in hating nothingness?_' Ulquiorra wondered.

After his attack finished, Ichigo faced his companion again, "This place disgusts me. Don't ever return here. This soul-sucking pit should be buried. You don't belong here…nobody does."

'_What is he talking about?_' the bat Vasto Lorde tried to understand. His concept on the emotion of empathy was very confusing as he tried to process the idea of Ichigo feeling angered on his behalf.

"Ever since I've become a hollow…I've tried to understand what I'm looking for. What drives me to live? All hollows seek whatever this…thing is. You're no different. It's impossible to find it in that abyss. I don't know what you're looking for, but I do know it doesn't exist down there."

Silence passed for a long moment as Ulquiorra seemed deep in thought the hollow took one last look at the darkness below before turning towards Ichigo, '_I don't know what I'm looking for…but neither does he. Why does he not despair though?_'

"Don't give up on seeking this thing…there's more to life and death than this horrid place," Ichigo spoke again as he turned away from the blackened pit.

Ulquiorra felt a strange feeling upon hearing Ichigo's words, '_My instincts were right to draw me away from this place the first time. I never would have met him otherwise_…'

Without another word, both departed in the opposite direction of the pit. Ichigo looked over again and spoke distantly, "I don't know what you seek, but I will help you understand it by showing you the place where I came from. Have you ever been to the world of the living?"

Ulquiorra shook his head, '_I've never imagined how the mortal world would be_. _Is that where he is from?_'

"I'll show you…" Ichigo stated as the two continued flying.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Not really much to say about this chapter. I wanted to show Ichigo's different encounters with some familiar faces here. As for some of the technical stuff…I know Nel isn't really a confirmed Vasto Lorde, but for the sake of simplicity, she is in this fic. I tried to stay true to the individual personalities of each of the hollows. As for Ichigo's Vasto Lorde form…well I wanted to give him the sword arms that White originally had when it attacked his mother. I thought that'd be fitting since he doesn't have a Zanpaktou. Anyways, thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Return of White**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karakura Town, One Day Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rukia Kuchiki let out a heavy sigh as she wandered the streets of Karakura town in search for any hollows. The infamous Gillian known as white had been a top priority for many months, but its failure to reappear had left many within the soul society nervous. Due to their concern, they had stationed many Shinigami with high seats on patrol through random cities.

Captain Aizen in particular had been the one ordering these patrols. The raven haired woman couldn't help but wonder why he was so adamant in finding this hollow. She found the idea of a Gillian class menos standing up to a captain preposterous. Though if that was indeed the case, then it would be monstrously powerful if it were ever to evolve.

'_If what Onii-sama says is true, then that monster will only become more powerful the longer it is allowed to live_,' Rukia concluded as she continued her patrol. Her thoughts were soon interrupted as she sensed an unbelievable source of Reiatsu.

'_What in the world is that?!_' she thought horrified as her eyes shifted into the horizon. Not ten seconds passed before a man with red hair and tattoos showed up next to her.

He quickly spoke his mind, "Rukia, did you sense that spiritual pressure?!"

She stood there almost dumbfounded as she briefly looked over at him, "Renji…you don't think it could be another hollow invasion do you?!"

"Go and warn Captain Kuchuki, I'm going to find out what it is!" Rukia said almost commandingly despite the fact that Renji outranked her.

The red haired man left immediately as Rukia set off for the source of the spiritual pressure. It didn't take her long to lock onto it, since it was ridiculously powerful and radiated like a beacon. Rukia was almost convinced it was some type of hollow invasion similar to a few months back. She made her way to its source as fast as possible, but upon getting there and to her utter astonishment, she only saw two hollows.

The raven haired shinigami landed cautiously as she tried to get a closer look at the two hollows. One was pure white with upward horns and demonic green eyes. It had wings and strangely enough, no mouth. It was insanely powerful, by her estimate, but the other one seemed even more terrifying.

It was a mixture of white black and red, but its long orange hair was very distinguishable. The creature's mask had markings going down over the eyes, and forward facing horns. In that instant, Rukia's heart skipped a beat. '_Those eyes…that mask. It can't be!_'

Rukia did her best to hide her spiritual pressure as she watched them from a safe distance. Despite their monstrous power, the two creatures appeared non-aggressive as they wandered around. The orange haired one was leading the other as they walked down the street.

Ulquiorra looked around curiously at the world of the living for the first time. '_This place isn't quite as interesting as I imagined…wait, what is that presence I sense_? _This is where he came from? How could a being as powerful as him be from a place like this?_'

Both Vasto Lordes immediately turned their attention towards Rukia's hiding place. She barely had time to react as both appeared in front and behind her. Terror was the only word that could describe her face as she slowly backed away from the intimidating orange haired monster.

She stopped in her tracks and briefly glanced back to see Ulquiorra's eyes boring into her form behind. The female Shinigami was truly worried now. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Rukia tried speak, "This city is under the protection of the soul society. Leave now…we have a captain defending it."

Both hollows seemed completely unfazed by her remark. Ulquiorra barely had any idea what this creature was talking about. He looked over at Ichigo expecting him to deal with the situation. The Vasto Lorde reached out and grabbed Rukia by the throat bringing her closer to his eye level.

She struggled as the creature lifted her off the ground and stared into her eyes. Rukia couldn't comprehend the hatred they seemed to radiate, '_This creature…why is it staring at me like that?!_' Forced to stare into this creature's eyes, she couldn't help but wonder if her theory was in fact true.

Grasping for air, she tried to speak, "Are you the hollow called White?"

"Unhand her…now," a calm voice sounded.

Ulquiorra and Ichigo's gazes both jerked towards the source. '_How did he get there? I didn't even sense him?_' Ulquiorra thought shocked.

Ichigo dropped the raven haired woman to the ground as he cocked his head at the newcomer. This man had long black hair with a headpiece of some kind clipping parts in place. His eyes appeared calm, but serious as he directed a stare directly towards Ichigo.

Rukia immediately flash stepped to Byakuya's side who didn't even look back at her. The Captain spoke with complete seriousness in his voice, "Rukia…go to the Seireitei and get back up. I will hold them off."

"Brother…a-are you sure? T-there's two of them," the female Shinigami said worriedly. Her older brother appeared unfazed as he reached for this sword's hilt, "That's an order…"

"I'll leave at once," she replied before taking off. Afterward Byakuya glanced between Ichigo and Ulquiorra with a slight curiosity on his face, "You two are small for hollows of such power…are you adjuchas or perhaps Vasto Lordes?"

Ichigo spoke to the man with a sickening, echoing pitch in his voice, "We don't have to tell you anything, Shinigami…go away."

"Why are you in the world of the living? Hollows of your level have no reason to come here…" Byakuya stated. It was evident that he already knew the two of them were Vasto Lordes.

Ulquiorra looked at the captain with a brewing curiosity, '_So this is a shinigami captain? Why is he trying to stop us? We haven't done anything_.'

The black haired man drew his unsealed Zanpaktou and slowly walked closer to the duo. He studied them for any sort of movement or aggressive action. '_This is strange…they aren't attacking. They both appear very intelligent. I will have to be careful_…'

Upon getting a closer look at Ichigo the raven haired Shinigami narrowed his gaze, "Your mask description is that of the Gillian, 'White.' Though you are no longer a Gillian…Captain Zaraki was very foolish in allowing you to live. It seems you've evolved."

Ichigo glanced down at the man's sword cautiously, '_I wonder what he's capable of…I should hold back my aces until I get a better idea._'

'_White? Is that what his name is?_' Ulquiorra thought as he looked at Ichigo.

His thoughts were cut short when Byakuya looked over at him, "I've never seen a hollow without a mouth before…what is that thing?"

Ulquiorra's stoic, eyes met the Shinigami's in a passive glare. Byakuya felt slightly nervous at he shifted a glance back at Ichigo who still hadn't moved, '_What are they waiting for? Neither one has attacked me yet_…'

Ichigo finally broke the stasis as he began to walk away. Ulquiorra slowly turned and followed him, '_White doesn't appear concerned about this man_.'

Byakuya immediately flash stepped in front of them and held his sword to Ichigo's throat, "Where do you think you're going?"

The black sclera, gold-iris eyes sent him a death glare. Ichigo immediately grabbed the sword faster than Byakuya could react and jerked it downward. The force behind it was tremendous as it sent the captain crashing into a nearby building.

He swiftly recovered and came in for another fast attack. Ichigo effortlessly dodged it and appeared behind the man. His eyes widened as he could barely turn around fast enough to stop a clawed white hand from impaling the back of his shoulder.

The man grimaced in agony as he appeared further away and looked at the orange haired creature slightly worried, '_I've never seen a hollow move that fast before. This thing is definitely a Vasto Lorde_.'

Taking a deep breath, Byakuya recollected his composure, "It seems there is no point in holding back against a creature of your power level…Scatter Senbon Zakura."

Ichigo watched with curiosity as the man's sword dissipated into pink pedals leaving nothing but the hilt. He cackled at the action as he charged in for another attack.

Surprisingly, the pink pedals came up to block him and ended up slicing Ichigo. Unfortunately for Byakuya, they were ineffective at piercing Ichigo's skin as he tanked his way through the assault.

Byakuya kept his eyes locked on the orange haired Vasto Lorde, but felt a sharp pain from behind as the other hollow ambushed his flank. Ulquiorra mimicked Ichigo's action and tried to pierce the man's chest with his hand.

Luckily for the captain, he narrowly dodged the attack if by a fraction of a second. Temporarily distracted by Ulquiorra, he had no way of stopping Ichigo from clawing across his back. Blood splattered across both hollows and the street as Byakuya braced through their combined assault. His Shikai wasn't effective at damaging either hollow, but it was enough to protect him as he brought it in for a defensive sweep.

The two creatures temporarily ceased their assault as his Shikai reformed into a blade. Byakuya kept his composure but inwardly he was worried, '_The restrictions on my power is preventing me from doing anything to even harm them. Luckily they haven't gone full force, or I would be forced retreat_.'

The man took a deep breath as he pointed his sword downward, '_I have no choice…it would be foolish to hold back anything now_.'

Before he could release his bankai, several additional figures appeared out of nowhere. All of them were wearing white shinigami outfits quickly preventing Ichigo from charging in. Ulquiorra looked over them curiously, '_More Shinigami? Are they captains as well?_'

From the group there appeared to be three additional captains. Two of them, Ichigo recognized from his time as a Gillian, but one was unknown. This third captain had brown hair and glasses, and had an otherworldly confidence about him.

"Captain, Kuckihi…the power restrictions have been lifted. The Captain Commander sent all of us when he heard there were two Vasto Lordes," the white haired, short captain explained.

Kenpachi's eyes widened with excitement, "Those eyes…that mask! You're the hollow, White aren't you?!"

Ichigo looked over at Ulquiorra and spoke darkly, "Let's kill them!"

The green eyed hollow nodded his head, accepting the other creature's command. Ichigo turned back towards the captain and released a deafening hollow howl as red spiritual energy surged from him.

He cackled maniacally as he charged a cero between his horns. It swelled to tremendous size before firing. Kenpachi, deciding to jump into the fray, attempted to block it. Ichigo's beam followed him as he leapt into the air.

The power behind it was so colossal that it sent the man flying. There was no telling how far away he had been launched, assuming he was even still alive. Hitsugaya jaw-dropped, "So this is the power of a Vasto Lorde?!"

Ichigo laughed at the three remaining captains and made a come get me gesture with his clawed white hand. Toshiro immediately took the taunt as he charged in angrily, "You'll pay for all the Shinigamis you killed last time! I won't let you live this time, White! Bankai!"

"Bankai…Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi," Byakuya added as he followed up with his own release. Both Vasto Lordes charged in as they each picked a target.

Right as Toshiro was about to slash Ichigo, two large bladed arms shot from his forearms countering the blade. Hitsugaya's expression was pure shock as the hollow's sword arms quickly pushed him back. The two clashed back and forth in a flurrying frenzy.

Due to the fact that Ichigo had two swords, Toshiro quickly found himself at the disadvantage as the hollow overpowered all of his reckless attacks. Ichigo quickly followed up by parrying twice and uppercut. The blade narrowly missed slicing Hitsugaya in half, but left a large cut across his torso.

The man flew back briefly and caught his breath. "Damn it…I've never seen a hollow move that fast! Captain Aizen, are you going to help or what?!"

The brown haired man was about to speak up before Kenpachi reappeared with a burnt uniform. The spiky haired man announced himself immediately, "There's no need for him to get involved…I'll kill this one! He's strong!"

"I believe the two of you can deal with White…I will make sure Captain Kuchiki is holding up alright," The calm suave haired man spoke.

Meanwhile over with Ulquiorra, the green eyed hollow was moving insanely fast as he tried to find an opening in Byakuya's bankai. The pink pedal blades actually managed to cut him this time which caused the hollow to be more cautious.

Ulquiorra took his time testing the captain's defensive maneuvers before noticing a pattern, '_His attacks move faster when he uses his hands…but it makes it possible for me to predict his moves_.'

The black haired Vasto Lorde continued dodging Senbon Zakura as he tried to get closer towards Byakuya. As he got within close range, he brought up his finger and charged a green cero. Byakuya's eyes widened as he drew his pedals in to block the attack.

As he resisted the powerful beam, he barely had time to stop Ulquiorra from breaking past his defenses and swiping him from behind. Unfortunately, the hollow didn't count on it leaving himself exposed as a swift jab shot pedals through his body leaving many deep wounds.

'_This opponent is actually putting up a decent fight now_…' Ulquiorra thought surprised.

Back with Ichigo, the orange haired hollow now found himself unable to go on the offensive as both captains wildly swung and twirled their blades at him.

Using both of his, he fiercely parried and blocked as fast as he could. Ichigo was surprised by their power to say the least, '_The level between captain class Shinigami and normal ones is as large as the gap between hollow and Vasto Lorde Menos. These guys are strong…_'

Ichigo tried to come up with a strategy as the clashing blades continued at ridiculous speeds. Sparks seem to form as Kenpachi brought his blade down for a powerful swing. Ichigo blocked it but quickly felt the powerful Shinigami pushing him down.

Before Ichigo could move to block the oncoming, Toshiro, Kenpachi grabbed his wrist and held him steady, "C'mon…you can do better than tha-" Kenpachi chuckled

Before he could even finish his remark, Ichigo impaled the man's chest with both horns and did a back flip by kicking off his body in order to dodge Hitsugaya's ice attacks. As he flipped, Ichigo ripped his horns free and followed up with several devastating slashes drawing more blood from Kenpachi.

Upon landing he tossed the large warrior aside just in time to counter a torrent of ice attacks from Hitsugaya.

Kenpachi quickly jumped back up and seemed both excited and surprised that the hollow was able to hurt him so effectively. He charged in for another rapid slashing frenzy, but was stopped as Ichigo parried his blade with one arm and stabbed him in the chest again with the other.

Unfortunately, Ichigo left himself exposed by doing this. "Shinku no Kori no Yaiba! (Vacuum Ice Blade)" The attack fired a large ice blast straight through Ichigo staggering him just long enough for Kenpachi to push him back. The ice slowly crept up his body, but was instantly melted as he unleashed more of his power. A shard remained impaled, but Ichigo didn't even seem to care as he continued fighting.

The rabid Kenpachi swung his blade again like a madman at the recovering Ichigo quickly breaking through his defense. He now found himself pushed against a nearby wall as Kenpachi continued. Seizing a moment of opportunity, Ichigo ducked from a furious slash and immediately stabbed Kenpachi in his sword arm.

The warrior howled in pain, but it seemed almost narcotic to the man as he continued trying to push his blade at Ichigo. Thinking fast, the hollow swung his other sword attempting to cut Kenpachi's arm off, but was blocked by Toshiro's blade.

He ripped his sword out of Kenpachi's arm and swung both sword arms in an X pattern sending both captains sliding back from the sheer force of his strength.

Kenapchi stabbed his blade into the ground to slow the momentum while Toshiro leapt back into the air. Toshiro watched surprised as Ichigo cut the ice lance sticking out of his flesh. It fell to the ground and his wounds quickly healed soon after.

"Bakudo number 4. Hainawa! (crawling rope)" Toshiro launched a yellow Reishi rope attempting to restrict Ichigo, but the hollow easily broke out of it as he slashed it apart.

The Squad eleven captain grinned at the display, "This thing's the most powerful hollow I've ever seen…I guess that means you're worthy of seeing my full power."

Hitsugaya raised a brow annoyed, "Have you been holding back this whole time?! Don't underestimate this thing you idiot! This hollow would have cut your arm off if I hadn't been here!"

"Oh shut up will ya? I'll deal with this thing…you can either help or get out of my way. Either way, the killing blow is mine!" Kenpachi cackled as he tore off his eye patch. Ichigo was shocked by the power surge that followed.

'_What's with this guy?! He's still got more power up his sleeve? Damn…these Shinigami Captains are no joke_,' Ichigo thought as he growled with a hollowing echo.

Toshiro said some strange words as he held his hands up and quickly followed with a shout, "Bakudo number 61. Rikujokoro!" six light beams slammed into Ichigo's body completely immobilizing him. The hollow seemed surprised by the attack, '_What hell is this?! I can't move!_'

Hitsugaya followed up as he charged his bankai's power, "Stay back Captain Zaraki! I'll finish this!"

"Like hell you will!" he shot back as the two captains charged Ichigo at the same time.

Summoning as much power as he possibly could, Ichigo roared as he broke free from the spell. Toshiro's eyes widened horrified, '_Impossible…how did he break free?! Damn it…I'm going to have to use my bankai's full power at this rate even if Captain Zaraki's here…I can't allow this thing to live!_'

The three shot back into another blade battle, but this time it was much faster and more devastating than before. Each swing and parry resulted in not only sparks, but near earthquake like rumbles. Ichigo howled with bloodlust as he changed his fighting style. This time he used both sword arms and moved them together blocking each captain individually.

Though it seemed less effective at first, it was nearly unblockable as it sent both captains spiraling back. He would sporadically switch stances catching both off guard and breaking through their defenses. This caused them to back off momentarily after a nearly fatal slash against Toshiro. Ichigo cackled almost evilly as Kenpachi came in for another attack, "Gyahaha! Die Shinigami!"

Both captains stopped abruptly as black spiritual pressure outlined in red formed over Ichigo's sword arms. He ruthlessly took advantage of their momentary pause and launched blackened wave like attacks from his swords. They tore through everything in their path, including both captains. Ichigo spun both blades in wild flurries unleashing a torrent of unpredictable, unstoppable blackened waves of spiritual energy.

Kenpachi decided to brute force his way through several of them trading the self harm for a chance to charge Ichigo again. As He closed in, the hollow charged a cero between his horns. He expected the attack to come straight for him, but to his surprise Ichigo fired it at Hitsugaya preventing the white haired captain from getting close.

Believing he had Ichigo cornered, the rabid captain cackled as he jabbed his sword through the hollow's flesh. Much to his approval, the blade pierced Ichigo midsection. The man grinned wickedly as he pushed the blade in deeper. He used his free hand to grab the hollow's throat and squeezed as hard as possible, "I'm going to snap your neck, hollow!"

His grin was wiped off when he felt both of Ichigo's sword arms stab straight through him. He tried to pull his blade out in time, but was unable to as the Vasto Lorde violently ripped both of his blades and made a cross slash across Kenpachi's midsection sending the warrior to the ground.

Toshiro's eyes widened horrified, '_No way…He took down Captain Zaraki?!_'

Ichigo briefly looked at Toshiro before snorting in disgust and turning his attention to Ulquiorra. '_I wonder if he's holding up alright against those other two captains_?'

To his surprise, Ulquiorra was doing a good job at wearing down the original captain. The brown haired captain didn't appear concerned as he continued to watch from the sidelines.

The Vasto Lorde shook his head at the sight, '_What is he so calm about_?'

Ichigo flew down and landed next to Ulquiorra before speaking seriously, "We should leave before more show up. These Shinigami run in packs."

Ulquiorra nodded, '_That's a good idea…but what was the point of us coming here in the first place?_'

Toshiro quickly caught up and landed next to Aizen, "Captain Aizen, aren't you going to do anything?! Captain Zaraki was just taken down!"

"Hitsugaya-kun…the two of you failed to kill White on your own?" he asked surprised. Though inwardly he was beaming, '_A Vasto Lorde hollow with Shinigami and Quincy powers…imagine how powerful you would be as an Arrancar, Ichigo Kurosaki_.'

Ichigo and Ulquiorra both simultaneously charged ceros at Byakuya much to his horror. He knew he couldn't block both with his bankai, so he chose to block Ichigo's instead. Ulquiorra's cero fired at his blindside. It would have resulted in severely wounding him, but much to his unspoken relief, Hitsugaya blocked it with his own power.

The white haired man panted heavily, "How are you holding up Captain Kuchiki?"

"I'm fine…" Byakuya said passively though truthfully he was relieved by the other captain's intervention.

Both had widened eyes when Kenpachi appeared out of nowhere again attempting to slash Ichigo. It would have succeeded, but much to everybody's disbelief, his sword was parried by Ulquiorra's wing. The white bat Vasto Lorde grabbed Ichigo and pulled him out of harm's way as the four captains now stood across from them.

Ichigo was thankful for Ulquiorra's block, '_I didn't even sense that attack…I thought he was dead. I can't let my guard down around these guys for even a second_.'

As they all assembled again with their weapons raised, Byakuya spoke again, "Why did you two hollows come here? What are you after?"

For a moment, Ichigo thought about the question, '_Why did I come here? I feel drawn to this place for some reason. I wanted to show this other Vasto Lorde…but I don't think it's safe for him to stay._'

Ulquiorra looked at Ichigo as well not really sure himself why the two of them were battling in the world of the living. Ichigo said nothing as he simply held his blades in a defensive stance.

Ichigo briefly glanced over at Ulquiorra who had a look of uncertainty in his eyes. The green eyed hollow wondered why they were there himself, '_He wanted to show me this place…but why are we fighting these people? What's the point?_'

The orange haired hollow receded both of his swords as he glanced at Ulquiorra. No words were exchanged as Ichigo opened a Garganta behind them. He motioned for the black haired, green eyed hollow to go in first. "Go…come find me when I return."

Ulquiorra did as directed but was confused by the action. '_What is he doing? Why does he want me to leave?_' he thought shocked. Nevertheless, Ulquiorra decided to accept the other hollow's words, '_I will find him when he returns I suppose…_' After the Garganta closed shut, Ichigo only drew out one of his blade arms.

Aizen seemed intrigued by the display, '_Is he trying to protect that other Vasto Lorde? Interesting…he has a strong need to protect others. I can use that to my advantage._'

"He sent his friend away and only brought out one sword? Is he fighting with a handicap to mock us?" Kenpachi asked with a bloody smirk.

"What is the meaning of this?" Toshiro demanded as he pointed his blade at the hollow. Ichigo quickly disappeared via sonido much to their surprise. A considerable distance away, he snatched up a raven haired girl who had been spying on the battle the whole time and took her hostage before reappearing in front of the captains.

They all jaw dropped as the hollow held the bladearm at Rukia's throat. Ichigo watched their reactions curiously. The white and black haired captains appeared the most concerned, whilst the other two remained indifferent. Something about the brown haired one with glasses in particular caused great uneasiness.

Ichigo pressed the blade closer to Rukia's throat and spoke darkly, "Open the door to the soul society…"

"What?!" Toshiro gasped.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Kenpachi sighed as he hated hostage situations.

Aizen almost grinned at the display, "You're quite ruthless, Hollow…but what makes you think you could match the full power of the Soul Society?"

'_I am curious what he wants to do there…I didn't anticipate this_,' Aizen thought interested.

"You go back…or she dies," Ichigo replied causing all of the captains to eye him surprised.

"Go back? What for?!" Toshiro demanded.

Byakuya narrowed his brow, "We will consider your request if you tell us what your purpose in Karakura town is."

'_Karakura Town?_' Ichigo thought for a moment. In that brief instant, he immediately remembered many childhood memories of the young boy with orange hair and his two younger sisters…and a father? '_Maybe that's what drew me here…I knew I was from this place._'

Aizen took a step forward causing Ichigo to instantly press his blade tighter causing a slight trickle of blood from Rukia's throat, "Go now! Leave me alone!"

"We aint done fighting yet!" Kenpachi shouted as he was about to charge in, but Aizen immediately held him back much to his surprise, "Do as he says Captain Zaraki…all of you leave."

'_I can't risk him doing anything potentially dangerous to the Hogyoku_…' the man thought slowly.

"What!? Screw that! I am not passing up the fight of a lifetime over some girl!" Kenpachi said disapprovingly.

"Do as he says Captain Zaraki," Byakuya stated with dead seriousness in his voice.

Toshiro gritted his teeth and scowled hatefully, "You're a monster! Only something as evil as you would take an innocent person hostage!"

"Enough, Captain Hitsugaya…we will retreat for now. This hollow is clearly aware of our weaknesses," Byakuya interrupted calmly.

"We can't just leave a Vasto Lorde to go rampaging through the world of the living!" he protested.

Ichigo's arm twitched as if he were about to slash Rukia's throat forcing the white haired man to shut up. "I've never seen a hollow take someone hostage before…this Vasto Lorde is a sadistic, cunning creature. Open the door Hitsugaya-kun," Aizen said.

The white haired captain reluctantly opened a door to the Seireitei. One by one the captains lined up at it, all except for Aizen. The brown haired man stared Ichigo down with a calm demeanor, "Release the girl…"

The horned beast charged a cero between his horns as he slowly walked Rukia closer towards the door. The others watched cautiously. Toshiro narrowed his gaze, '_This thing is clever. It's got a back up plan in case we rush it. I knew that Vasto Lordes were smart, but it completely took advantage of our morals. Damn it!_'

Byakuya watched closely as he kept his Senbon Zakura circling the group ready to move in an instant. Ichigo hissed aggressively at Aizen, "You too, four eyes…get to the door."

'_Four eyes?_' Aizen thought almost amused that a hollow could use a childish joke against him. '_He is definitely Ichigo Kurosaki…or at least partly him._'

Aizen slowly walked towards the doorway, but held his hand up, "The girl first…"

However, before anybody could say or do anything, Ichigo moved faster than anyone could react and kicked Aizen into the group. The captain felt genuine disbelief in the split second afterward, '_How did he manage to kick me?_' The others had no time act, as Ichigo unleashed his cero at point blank launching all four captains through the open spiritual doorway. Byakuya tried to block it with his Senbon Zakura, but the doorway quickly sealed shut afterward due to the tremendous power surge.

Ichigo still had Rukia in his grip and laughed, "Stupid Shinigamis!"

Rukia fearfully looked up at the creature holding her hostage still. Ichigo briefly looked down at her and grinned beneath his mask, "Guess I'll keep you in case they come back."

"What?! Why did you go against your word?! You honorless monster!" Rukia shouted.

He said nothing in response as he instinctively ran through the city. He used sonidos to travel faster and tried to lock on to whatever it was that drew him here. Before long, Rukia found the two of them in a cemetery of some kind. There, Ichigo spotted two girls both crying at a tombstone. He watched them from afar and covered Rukia's mouth with his now normal hand to prevent her from making noise.

The girl with the dirty blonde hair cried sadly, "Onii-chan…" she couldn't find any other words as she began to burst into tears.

The black haired girl hugged her in a comforting embrace, "Don't cry Yuzu…he hates it when you cry."

Ichigo felt his heart nearly skip a beat as he watched them. He stared at the two girls uncertainly, '_What is this feeling? Why did my instincts bring me here?_'

"Karin-chan!" Yuzu sobbed as she buried her head in her sister's shoulder, "it's the two year anniversary of his death. Don't you have anything to say?"

"There's nothing to say…" the black haired girl said with an evident sadness in her eyes, "he was taken from us just like mom. There's no point in crying over it anymore."

Rukia watched the scene with curiosity, '_What the?! I've seen those two girls before…they were attacked by a hollow a few years back. Their brother died if I remember correctly…I couldn't reach them in time before the hollow escaped._'

"After all this time, you still have nothing to say about it…why don't you ever talk about him, Karin-chan?" Yuzu asked sadly.

Anger was evident on the black haired girl's face much to the other one's surprise. Karin shook her head, "It's not fair…why couldn't it have been me?"

"What are you saying? He died to a murderer, Karin-chan…I'm sure he was protecting us," Yuzu replied with tears flowing still.

Karin shook her head again, "No! You don't get it…I shouldn't have just sat there and watched. I could have done something. He was taken right before my eyes."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he briefly remembered the orange haired teenager being dragged away, and the black haired girl he shook his head at. '_Yuzu…Karin? Those are my sisters!_' he thought shocked. He kept a stoic demeanor as he continued to watch them.

Rukia had given up on struggling and watched with an equal interest, '_Why is this hollow drawn here? Does it know these two girls?_'

She couldn't hear as well as Ichigo but knew that the hollow had some interest in the two of them.

"Yuzu, Karin, come on…let's go home," a dark haired man with a light beard said sadly. From around the corner, Ichigo saw a man approach the two girls. His eyes were bloodshot indicating that he had possibly been crying.

The man sighed heavily as he looked over towards Karin, "Don't hold yourself responsible for what happened, Karin…I should have been there for my family."

'_I should have warned him about hollows the moment I knew he could see spirits_.' Isshin thought sadly.

"I just wish I knew where he was and why this had to happen." Yuzu said sadly.

Isshin frowned at her question, "We've talked about this before Yuzu…he's gone wherever dead people go. Hopefully to a better place."

Yuzu seemed to find some comfort in his words but Karin on the other hand looked away disgusted, '_That monster killed him and dragged his ghost away…I've had nightmares about it ever since_.'

"Somehow I doubt that…" Karin spoke venomously. Her sister was upset by the remark but Isshin remained passive.

'_Karin probably saw what happened…I wonder if I should talk to her about it? Though I don't see what good it would do at her age_.' Isshin thought.

The father and daughters were interrupted from their conversation when an auburn haired, doe-eyed girl approached them nervously, "Umm…excuse me, but are you Kurosaki-kun's family?"

"We are. I think I know you. Inoue-san right? We saw you at the funeral," Isshin replied.

The girl held her head down sadly, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if the police investigation turned up anything else about it? I was in his class. It seems like everybody else has forgotten about him…but I wanted to know if you had any news. Tatsuki and I still haven't forgotten about him…"

Karin scowled at the girl, "Go away…we don't anything!"

Isshin and Yuzu seemed surprised by her outburst. Isshin sighed, "Don't mind her…she loved her brother a lot. It's hard for her to deal with him being gone."

"I understand…Kurosaki-kun was a very dear friend of mine. I can understand it's hard to let people go. My older brother died a long time ago as well," Orihime replied hoping to show some empathy to Karin. It worked on Yuzu, but not Karin however.

"You were our brother's friend?" Yuzu asked curiously between sobs.

Orihime nodded, "Yes…Kurosaki-kun was one of my best friends."

"I'm afraid we don't know anything else about it, Inoue-san…but I guess it doesn't really matter since he's dead. It's been over two years. All we can do now is move on…" Isshin spoke sadly.

Karin huffed angrily as she ran off leaving Isshin, Yuzu, and Orihime behind. Ichigo quickly followed her much to Rukia's surprise, '_What is this hollow doing?_' Before she could give it any more thought, Ichigo dropped her.

Rukia didn't waste the opportunity to flee. She briefly contemplated the idea of following him but chose not to, '_My curiosity has already gotten me captured by this hollow twice. I should just get out of here for now. It doesn't look like it wants to kill anybody for the moment. I suppose that's good enough until the captains get back_.'

Meanwhile Ichigo followed Karin for several minutes. She appeared to be running as far away from her family and the cemetery as possible. After about five minutes, she found an abandoned park and sat on a swing set with tears free flowing, '_Ichigo…why couldn't I have helped you?! You died to protect me_…'

She was quickly drawn from her sorrow when the noticed a shadow standing over her. Karin slowly looked up with horror and spotted a tall, lean, orange haired hollow with horns. She instantly froze in terror as the creature's hand reached for her.

Karin clenched her eyes shut, '_NO! It's another one of those monsters!_'

"Karin…" the creature spoke causing her to open her eyes. The girl shook in fear as the hollow's clawed hand slowly brushed hair out of her face. As his hand trailed down her cheek, his finger caught a tear. Ichigo pulled it back and looked at the girl with a heaviness in chest, '_She's my sister…_'

"W-what a-are you? H-how do you know my name?" she finally managed to say in an almost inaudible tone. The horned monster took a step back and stared at her, '_She doesn't recognize me…am I really her brother?_'

Karin stared at the creature fearfully, but the sight of his long flowing orange hair seemed familiar. '_Its hair…it's the same color as Ichigo's._'

Ichigo said nothing as his golden eyes stared at her. She tried to get a close look at the monster's mask and was immediately reminded of the creature that dragged Ichigo away, '_This thing has a mask just like the creature that took Ichi-nii's ghost away_.'

Her eyes trailed down to the massive hole in the creature's chest, '_What is that?! How is this thing able to walk around with a hole in its body?_'

A thousand emotions swirled within Ichigo at that very moment. He felt an indescribable longing for this girl to acknowledge him as her brother. He didn't know how to speak to her however as the girl fearfully stared.

'_What could I possibly say to her? How could I make her understand? What is this feeling…_' he thought as he fought the urge to go any closer.

Thinking of the best way to make her understand, he finally spoke as non-aggressively as he could, "What was your brother's name?"

The girl immediately glared at him, '_Is this thing mocking me?! It's one of those monsters that killed Ichi-nii and now it's trying to torment me!_'

"Why should I tell you, monster!" she finally said as bravely as she could.

Ichigo could literally feel the emptiness in his chest amplify as if the weight of a thousand buildings came crashing down on his hollow heart, '_She doesn't understand…I can't…NO!_'

His spiritual pressure was slowly starting to pick up as he felt intense anger at that moment. '_I can't tell her…she'll think I'm lying. How can I show her?!_'

Karin immediately regretted her words as the hollow heaved heavily before releasing a bellowing hollow howl. It seemed to shake the very night sky as Ichigo dropped to his knees.

The girl's eyes widened as the hollow reached for its face, '_This anger…this rejection! WHO AM I!?_'

He was drawn from his hysteria when several reishi arrows shot directly into his back. Ichigo immediately stood up and turned around noticing a teenager with glasses wielding some kind of bow, "So you must be the source of the fluctuating spiritual pressure around the city. Leave that girl alone, hollow."

'_Hollow?_' Karin thought confused as the teenager with the bow fired several more light blue spirit arrows at the horned creature.

Ichigo effortlessly dodged them as he made he way towards the Qunicy. Uryu's surprise was cut short as the hollow grabbed him by the throat lifting him off the ground.

He glared at the Quincy, "What are you?"

"Clearly you've never seen a Quincy before…" Uryu half choked as the hollow's grip tightened.

Ichigo carelessly threw him against a building knocking him out cold, before using a sonido to reappear in front of the fleeing Karin. The black haired girl stopped in her tracks as the hollow reached for her face. He pulled back after noticing the look on her face, '_She's terrified of me…my sister shouldn't be afraid of her own brother._' She stood there frozen as he knelt down in front of her. The hollow looked down and spoke apologetically, "I'm sorry for scaring you, Karin…"

'_What the?!_' she thought confused as the creature made eye contact.

"What do you want from me? What are you?" she asked again deciding not to run away.

The hollow looked almost sad from what she could tell as he spoke slowly, "I want to know what your brother's name was."

"Ichigo…his name was Ichigo. Why does that matter to you?" Karin asked cautiously.

He stood up upon hearing her response, "Ichigo? My name…"

"What?!" Karin's eyes widened with disbelief, "A-are y-you? Ichi-nii?!"

'_That hair…his voice…I knew it seemed familiar! Could he really be Ichigo?!_' Karin tried to process the idea.

Upon hearing her nickname, the hollow immediately recalled all of his memories as a human with his black haired sister. He stood there unable to speak as he could barely believe the girl had finally acknowledged who he was.

Much to his utter shock, she had tears free-flowing, "Are you Ichi-nii? What's happened to you?"

The girl stood there trembling uncertainly at the idea that this terrifying monster was her beloved dead older brother.

"I remember that creature dragging me away…it's not your fault, Karin. I'm glad you're okay…I would gladly do it again to keep you safe," He finally spoke after a brief silence.

There was no holding back her emotions now as she ran over to the hollow and hugged him. "Ichi-nii!" she sobbed as she clutched onto the hollow tighter. For some unknown reason, Ichigo felt the horrible feeling in his chest soften slightly from her action. He reached his arms around her and hugged back, "Karin…"

They stood like this for over a minute, but to Ichigo it felt like an eternity. An eternal battle with his emotions waged in the short minute they embraced. Karin finally broke away and looked up at the monster sadly, "That monster…it did this to you didn't it?"

"Yes…I became a hollow," was all he could reply. He wanted to explain in more detail, but Ichigo figured her knowing who he was all that mattered.

"Where did you go?" she asked curiously.

He looked away for a moment, '_Somebody is coming…_'

Before he could answer, he noticed Yuzu come around the corner, "There you are, Karin-chan…where have you been? We've been looking all over for you."

Karin looked between the girl and the hollow wondering if Yuzu could see Ichigo. After a moment it appeared as though she could not. Yuzu frowned at Karin's tear-stained face, "Karin-chan, you're always telling me not to cry…are you alright?"

"I…" the black haired girl was unable to reply.

Yuzu ran over and hugged her sister, "You don't have to be so cold all the time…it's okay to cry sometimes. I'm sure wherever he is, Onii-chan misses you too. Maybe he's watching us right now from heaven."

As Yuzu hugged her, the black haired girl looked up at the horned hollow, "Maybe…"

Yuzu briefly turned around curiously, "What are you looking at Karin-chan?"

The black haired girl looked Ichigo dead in the eyes. She didn't reply for a moment causing her sister to look at her curiously, "Is something else bothering you?"

Karin looked back, "It's nothing…go on ahead, Yuzu. I just need a few more minutes alone. I don't want dad to see me crying."

"Okay…but hurry up. Papa's worried," Yuzu insisted before leaving Karin alone.

The girl looked up at Ichigo sadly, "You don't deserve this, Ichi-nii; you're a good person. I'm sorry you became a monster just to protect me…"

Ichigo sensed a doorway to the Seireitei opening from across the city, '_Damn it…those captains are back. I better cut this short and get out of here before my family gets caught in the middle of this_.'

"I have to go now, Karin…" Ichigo spoke sadly.

"Go where?! I-is there anything I can do to help you?" she asked nearly heartbroken. The hollow shook his head, "Just seeing you and hearing my name was enough. Keep Yuzu, and the old guy in line."

"You can't go…don't leave us again. You can stay here," she pleaded sadly as she reached for one of his arms.

He looked down and sighed, "I don't belong in this world…I need to go now."

"Will I ever see you again?" she sobbed heartbroken.

The terrifying creature looked away, "Hopefully not…"

Without another word he disappeared leaving Karin standing there shaken. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned around heading back to her father and sister. On the walk back she felt as if she could throw up, '_Ichi-nii…why can't I help you?! Why can't you stay_?'

She was quickly drawn from her thoughts as she bumped into none other than her father. The man stared at her with an evident sadness on his face and spoke, "Come on, Karin…let's go home."

The girl uncharacteristically leaned into her father's side as she walked home with him. The man sighed heavily as he glanced back in the direction of where Ichigo just was, '_That hollow…I didn't get a good look at it, but I swear it looked just like the one that attacked Masaki. Could that thing be back? I've been sensing strange spiritual pressures all around the city tonight._' he pondered worriedly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxXX Back In Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo returned to the hollow world with an overwhelming despair filling his heart. Leaving his sister like that was difficult for him, but he had no choice knowing that four or more captains had arrived to stop him again.

As he landed back in the desert, Ichigo sighed heavily, '_What am I supposed to do? How do I go on living? I have nothing here…no reason to exist. But…to protect? Yes. Maybe I should hold true to that feeling. The one that saved my sisters. I will find my purpose in protecting others…_'

After his concluding thoughts, he turned his eyes onto the horizon. '_Barragan's Adjucha hunting days are over!_'

He briefly wondered where the green eyed Vasto Lorde was, '_I hope he can find me again…I didn't even learn his name. Hmm…well I'm sure he'll be able to track me down once I challenge Barragan again._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Okay so we had a fun little action packed scene followed by a sad reunion. Two years have passed since Ichigo became a hollow. It takes time to become a Gillian and later evolve you know? Anyways, this was fun to write, so hopefully you enjoyed it. Though now it makes you wonder what Aizen's got planned?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: A New Purpose**

Ichigo flew through the skies at remarkable speeds closing in on Las Noches. He was quickly distracted however when he noticed a deer like Adjucha. It was running away from what appeared to be one of Barragan's Adjucha hunting packs.

The orange haired Vasto Lorde quickly landed between them causing the Adjuchas to stop in their tracks and the deer like hollow to look back confused. The Adjucha hunting party all growled as intimidating as they could, but immediately stopped when two blades shot out of Ichigo's arms.

"Who are you? What hollow dares to interrupt King Barragan's army?!" one of them demanded.

Ichigo hissed as menacingly as he could, "White…"

All of them gasped worriedly at the idea that this small hollow could be the infamous dragon. Their leader seemed to shake off the idea dismissively, "You're bluffing…White is a dragon Adjucha! You're just a puny…"

"Vasto Lorde…" Ichigo interrupted causing the other hollow to immediately regret his words.

Ichigo roared deafeningly causing a fearsome hollow howl to shake the desert. The deer Adjucha was too afraid to run away as it watched the orange haired Vasto Lorde slice the hunting party to pieces. Just for overkill, Ichigo finished off the last one with a cero.

After the horrible display of might, he turned back towards the fearful deer Adjucha. It stood there terrified wondering if running was the best option or not.

Ichigo quickly receded his swords and held up a hand, "Relax, Adjucha…I'm not going to hurt you."

"Y-you're White!" it bellowed fearfully. The voice was feminine much to Ichigo's surprise. He calmly approached the frightened Adjucha and sighed, "If I was going to kill you, I already would have…calm yourself."

"What do you want from me?" she asked still slightly nervous.

Ichigo simply chuckled, "I just saw you were in trouble…I thought I'd help. I know what it's like to be hunted out here. Are you all alone?"

"Yes…" the deer replied slowly.

Ichigo eyed her curiously, "What's your name?"

"Why do you care? What does a Vasto Lorde want from me?" she asked defensively.

Ichigo shrugged, "Nothing I suppose…I just wanted to protect you."

The deer Adjucha eyed him uncertainly, "What? Why? You're the most infamous hollow in Hueco Mundo."

"You never did tell me your name…" he changed the subject.

The deer Adjucha gulped before speaking, "Apacci…"

"Nice to meet you, Appaci…I'm White, but you can call me Ichigo," he replied.

The deer cocked her head confused, "Ichigo? What kind of name is that?"

"It was my name when I was a human. It's how I would prefer to remember myself," he replied. Afterward he eyed her for a brief moment before turning away, "Take care, Apacci…"

"Umm…wait," she caught his attention.

He looked at her curiously, "What?"

"Why did you protect me…what do you want from me? I don't understand," Apacci asked again.

"When I was an Adjucha…a female Vasto Lorde helped me once. She healed a painful wound Barragan had inflicted on me," Ichigo explained.

Apacci eyed him curiously, "A female Vasto Lorde helped you?"

He nodded, "She did…sometimes I wished I had stayed with her. It can get pretty depressing out here all by yourself."

"You're…strange. But thanks for saving me," Apacci finally replied after an awkward silence.

"You're welcome to come with me if you want…I wouldn't mind the company," he said calmly.

"I-I don't know…I mean I appreciate the help and all, but don't go assuming I'm going to be your slave or anything like that," she protested.

"You don't have to…and you wouldn't be my slave. I just like having company. Being alone out here can be dangerous…even for me, and especially you," the Vasto Lorde explained.

"Alright…I suppose that's okay with me. Umm…where are we going?" she asked.

He thought for a moment, '_Maybe I should go find other Adjuchas like her. Having others to protect would really keep my mind preoccupied. Though…there's still the matter with Barragan. But I suppose that can wait for now_. _He's not going anywhere_.'

"There's a cave I wouldn't mind returning to. It was a pretty defensive place…it would be a safe home I suppose," Ichigo thought aloud.

Apacci followed him as he ran in a particular direction, "Are you sure it's a good idea to head this direction? Isn't Las Noches this way?"

"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe…and I can teach you what I know if you want to get stronger," Ichigo replied.

The deer Adjucha perked up excitedly, "You would do that?"

"Of course…from here on out, we'll have our own hunting party. If I find others like you, I'll let them join us," he continued.

Apacci cocked her head as they ran, "Others like me?"

"Loners…the kind that don't support Barragan's monopoly of power here," Ichigo explained.

The deer Adjucha nodded but inwardly she was excited, '_This is unbelievable…Not only does an actual Vasto Lorde wants to train and protect me, but the infamous White himself wants to? This is too good an opportunity to pass up. I'll become strong if I stay with him_…_or at least safe_.'

As the two hollows departed, a blonde Vasto Lorde watched them from a Cliffside with a strange reaction, '_White protected a female Adjucha…he spoke to her so nicely. Is this really the hollow that caused such a big fuss with Barragan? Strange…perhaps I should speak to him. I sense no foul intent…_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society Squad One Barracks Captain Meeting XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Captain Aizen…you will explain to me why two Vasto Lorde class hollows appeared in the world of the living and were not dealt with despite the presence of four captains." Yamamoto bellowed.

The brown haired man nodded, "Of course Captain Commander…one of the hollows was the one we have been searching for over the past two years. It was clearly the evolved 'White.' The other one, was likely its ally of some kind. They fought with remarkable prowess."

"Captain Commander if I may interrupt," Hitsugaya spoke up, "the creature took Rukia Kuchiki hostage before we had the chance to use our full power against it. It was also the most powerful hollow I've ever faced in combat."

"Do you agree with this statement, Captain Zaraki?" Yamamoto asked the spiky haired warrior.

He chuckled at the question, "You got that right…that thing can put up a fight."

"Excuse me, but how the hell did FOUR captains fail to kill TWO Vasto Lordes? And from what I understand in the report, one of them fled?! So essentially ONE outsmarted FOUR of you?" Soifon interjected almost angrily.

"Calm yourself, captain," Byakuya sighed, "this was a very difficult situation. As Captain Aizen's report mentioned, the hollow took a hostage when it knew it couldn't defeat us. It had very high intelligence as one would expect of a Vasto Lorde, but this being was not only cunning, but also malevolent. It knew how to get to us…"

"That monster was a coward!" Toshiro growled angrily, "most hollows are simply mindless beasts driven by hunger, but this one was simply cruel. Hiding behind a hostage is despicable."

Kyoraku cocked his head curiously, "If it's so good at fighting, why would it do that though? From what Captain Zaraki mentioned, this thing wasn't really in danger of dying when it took Rukia Kuchiki hostage."

"I believe the hollow had some other agenda in Karakura town. When I first arrived to the scene, it had almost no interest in my presence," Byakuya mentioned passively.

Ukitake frowned at his comment, "What interest would a hollow of that power level have in the world of the living? We know that the existence of Vasto Lordes are quite rare…but I find it more alarming that two were traveling together. Do you have any theories on what they were after?"

Byakuya frowned, "I do not."

"What became of the hostage? Is she alive?" Soifon asked anxiously as she crossed her arms.

Aizen nodded, "Rukia Kuchiki is in fact alive and unharmed. I was very curious why it spared her. She claims that the hollow dropped her after tracking down some humans in Karakura Town."

"Humans? Why would a Vasto Lorde be interested in humans? They don't feed on them, and are almost never seen outside of Hueco Mundo anyways. That's odd," Kyoraku said with a downcast stare.

"Regardless of its reason for being there, this hollow is easily on par with a captain in terms of power, but its cunning nature is what makes it the most dangerous. The way it neutralized four captains with something as simple as a hostage situation was rather disturbing," Aizen noted though inwardly he thought it was impressive.

"This creature seems to possess an unnatural hatred for Shinigamis…yet despite its actions it shows mercy to its hostage? That is unusual." Tousen added.

"I wouldn't mind facing White in battle. This hollow gets more fascinating each time we encounter it," Gin spoke up with a sly grin.

"I highly doubt you would fare better than we did, Captain Ichimaru. It did things I've never seen a hollow do before. It had blade like arms it could retract and extend which it used to counter our Zanpaktous. It channeled an unusual type of spiritual energy over them when it fought. They fired waves of black energy similar to a cero but more refined," Toshiro shook his head annoyed.

Gin simply smiled, "Oh I see…well he is quite the powerful one then. By your estimate, what would it take to kill this hollow?"

"All it'd take is me with nobody else in my way!" Kenpachi spoke up assuredly.

Hitsugaya scowled at him, "You would have lost an arm to that monster if I hadn't been there to block it. You insist on dragging out fights with powerful enemies, but eventually you'll bite off more than you can chew. Who knows how powerful this thing will be the next time it appears? We didn't even see its full power."

"It didn't get to see mine either!" Kenpachi countered causing several captains to roll their eyes.

"To answer your question, Captain Ichimaru, It's very difficult to gauge that hollow's power. It was never pushed to the brink of death; most hollows won't use their full power unless they're in danger of defeat. White used a considerable amount of power to fight us, but it did not appear to be worried for its life in the slightest," Byakuya cut in stoically.

"That's enough of this hindsight! Do I have to kill this thing myself?!" Yamamoto demanded annoyed, "the incompetence displayed in this situation was shameful!"

"Head Captain, we tried to return, but by the time we got back, the hollow was gone," Hitsugaya tried to explain.

Yamamoto pounded his cane into the ground, "This meeting is adjourned until further notice…I want all of you to take this time to inform the ranks of 'White' and its new likeness. We will put an end to this creature once and for all."

"Yes sir!" Everyone shouted in unison.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Two Days Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The two days Apacci spent with Ichigo had been the most unusual and strangely relaxing days she could remember. The orange haired Vasto Lorde seemed very curious about her past and asked a lot about her life as a hollow.

As they ran, Apacci continued her story, "And then, that's when I ran into the pack from Barragan's army. You know the rest, I assume."

"Wow…so you've been an Adjucha for that long? How have you not regressed back into a Gillian?" Ichigo asked curiously.

The deer shrugged her head, "It hasn't been _that_ long…besides, I'm not as powerful as you. I only hunt when I have to or when I can."

"I suppose that makes sense…" he nodded in understanding.

"Why did you think it was a long time? How long were you an Adjucha?" she asked.

Ichigo thought hard for a moment, "It's hard to really remember the exact amount of time, but I'd say a little over a year maybe. I've only been a hollow for two years supposedly."

"What?! A year…that's crazy. You must have killed hundreds of other hollows then to evolve so fast," she said shocked.

The horned Vasto Lorde thought for a moment, "Thousands…I killed thousands in the Menos Forest before I came to the surface."

"What?! No way…there's tons of Gillians down there though," Apacci said disbelievingly.

He glanced over, "Well obviously I didn't kill them all…but I ate my fill. Gillians didn't sate me for long as an Adjucha. I killed all the Adjuchas in the Menos Forest though."

"No wonder everyone's so afraid of you…" she noted, "so how did you become a Vasto Lorde?"

"Well that didn't take very long since every other day I had an army of Adjuchas hunting me down for the glory of killing me. Plus…I just had this drive to become stronger. I don't like Barragan, and I wanted nothing to do with him or his army," Ichigo said as the two continued.

"What's it like to have so much power? You must feel invincible sometimes…" she asked.

Ichigo shook his head, "Not really…in my experience all it seems to do is paint a large target on my head. Those with power are inevitably drawn to each other…if by instinct or by fate. To be honest, I feel nothing…I needed a good reason to have these powers. Which is why I want to help others like you…"

"I see…" Apacci nodded. The deer Adjucha found his explanation very interesting, '_That explains a lot about him. I'm glad he trusted me enough to explain. Hopefully things will continue to go well.'_

As the two hollows continued, Ichigo found the cave he had once resided in during his twilight days as an Adjucha. He briefly looked around as he stepped inside and spoke authoritatively, "Bug girls are you there?"

"Bug girls?!" an angry voice shouted causing Apacci to step back worried. She calmed down when she noticed Ichigo's calmness.

"Err…what were your names again? Loly? Menoly?" Ichigo restated.

From the ground, the two Adjuchas burst forth, both eyeing him uncertainly. Upon seeing him, the centipede spoke first, "Oh damn…it's a Vasto Lorde! That spiritual power is…"

The scorpion seemed to recognize his voice and horns, "You know our names? Wait…you look familiar somehow. A-are you White?"

"You recognize me?" Ichigo asked surprised.

"Menoly! Are you out of your mind? If that's really White then we should be getting out of here!" Loly said fearfully.

They both quickly noticed the curious Adjucha standing behind him. The centipede was quick to mention her, "What's with the Adjucha? And are you really White?"

"He is, Loly…look at that mask. There's no mistaking it…plus he knew exactly where we were and who we are!" Menoly spoke up.

"Before you two lose your minds, I wanted to run a proposition by you…" Ichigo spoke calmly.

Both traded a look of confusion before turning back to the horned Vasto Lorde. "What do you want from us?" Loly asked.

"I was wondering if we could stay here for a while. This cave is a pretty safe place," Ichigo requested.

Apacci shook her head at the notion, "Why are we asking them, Ichigo? Can't you just take it?"

"Who's she supposed to be anyway? You got a stray Adjucha following you around now?" Loly taunted.

"Loly! Stop it!" Menoly shook her head annoyed, "Don't listen to her, White…I don't mind if you stay here so long as you don't kill us."

"I'm not going to kill you two…" he shook his head and laughed, "otherwise she wouldn't really be threatening me."

"Alright fine…you can stay. Though what's the deal with her anyway? And did she just call you Ichigo? What the hell is that?" Loly asked.

"It's his name!" Apacci huffed irritated, "so how's about you shut up!"

"What did you just say to me?!" Loly shot back.

"Everybody calm down…I trust you two won't give Apacci and me any trouble?" Ichigo practically threatened.

The two Adjuchas traded looks of concern before shaking their heads. Menoly gave verbal confirmation as well, "We won't attack you two…that's suicide."

"Good…then how's about you listen to my proposition," he began.

"Alright fine…what do you want?" Loly half-demanded.

He looked back at Apacci before speaking, "I recently rescued Apacci from a pack of Barragan's followers. She doesn't support him and has agreed to travel with me."

"So?" Loly said carelessly, "what's that got to do with us?"

"I know you two have each other, but it must be pretty dangerous to be all alone out here so close to Las Noches' field of influence. I was wondering if you cared to join us?" Ichigo finally asked.

Menoly seemed surprised by the request, "Why would you want us to go with you? We can't offer you anything you don't already have…"

"That's where you're wrong…" Ichigo replied, "I've met a lot of hollows in my time here, and have spared very few of them. I kept you two alive because you seemed interesting to me. I wouldn't mind your company."

Loly seemed put off by the suggestion, "Our company? What's your game, White?! Is this some sort of trap?!"

"We don't need them, Ichigo. You have my company," Apacci spoke up as she directed a condescending look at the two other Adjuchas.

"I don't understand…you're super powerful. What do you want us to come with you for?" Menoly asked.

Ichigo sighed, "As I already explained to Apacci…I don't really like to be alone out here. It's dangerous and extremely boring…not to mention depressing. You two would be much safer in a group with us…plus I could train you if you'd like."

"You would do that?" Menoly's voice sounded almost excited.

Loly on the other hand was more skeptical, "What's the catch? I don't like the idea of you ordering us around."

"Life's full of trade offs…think of it this way. Would you rather be with me or against me the next time Barragan sends an Ajucha hunting party out here?" Ichigo restated.

The centipede Adjucha seemed more convinced as she nodded, "Okay I get it…but let me ask you one thing. Would you actually train us to become stronger?"

"Of course I would…I want my pack to be strong," Ichigo replied.

Menoly stepped forward and immediately spoke her mind, "I accept, White…it would be an honor to follow you. What do you want us to do?"

"Menoly! Don't be so subservient! He's asking us to follow him not to be his slaves," Loly protested.

The scorpion sighed, "This is a good thing, Loly…you're always talking about us getting stronger. White's spared our lives twice now. Plus he's already got her following him. I don't sense any deception."

"Alright fine…we'll follow you then. Happy now? You better protect us though if we're going to throw our lot in with you!" Loly responded.

Apacci shook her head and huffed, "That one seems really ungrateful…maybe we should leave her and take the other."

"What did you just say to me?!" Loly demanded.

"Enough! Let's get one thing straight here…nobody is forcing you to do anything. I'm just trying to recruit other hollows who I saw potential in. If you have a problem doing what I say then you don't have to come with me. It's as simple as that," Ichigo interrupted.

Loly immediately calmed down, "Fine…you're the boss then, White. I'll do what you say, but I'm not going to let deer girl over there trash talk me."

"Funny coming from a giant bug!" Apacci shot back.

Both immediately shut up as Ichigo's spiritual pressure rose, "Let's go ladies…since you're all so full of energy, I'll start your training right now."

Ichigo left the cave and turned back awaiting the three Adjuchas to come outside. Apacci eagerly ran outside first, followed shortly after by Loly and Menoly. As they exited Ichigo motioned for them to line up. Apacci held her head curiously as she wondered what they were going to do.

"Ichigo…I was wondering how are you going to train us? Hollow powers are instinctual. We use what we know and hope its stronger than what our opponent has," Apacci stated.

He gave her a nod, "Yes, that is true…but in my experience, there is always a way to improve so long as you have the willpower to do so. I want each of you to tell me your motivations. Why do you want to get stronger?"

"Umm…to survive, duh!" Loly stated with annoyance. The other two nodded in agreement, despite the rude way in which Loly said it.

He shook his head at the statement, "No…that is an instinctual need. It drives you to survive, but not to become stronger. You need a reason to become powerful. Tell me, Loly, what would you do if you were as strong as I was?"

The centipede seemed unable to answer his question for a moment. Loly slowly spoke up, "I don't know…I guess I never thought about that before."

"There's my point…what about you Menoly? What would you do?" Ichigo turned his head towards the Scorpion.

"I would keep Loly safe," she replied.

Ichigo nodded approvingly, "Good answer…you would protect her?"

"Protect?" Loly said distantly, "is that why you want to help us?"

"Makes sense doesn't it?" he noted. All three nodded in approval. Afterward, Ichigo glanced at Apacci, "What would you do Apacci?" the horned Vasto Lorde asked.

She held her head down, "I would kill Barragan's army so they would stop coming after me."

"These are good reasons for you to get powerful…but try to look beyond them for a moment. Is there some emptiness you wish to fill other than your own hunger? Do you want to make a better life for yourselves in this place or languish in the emptiness?" Ichigo continued.

"Of course I would…but how?" Apacci replied hopeful.

"You want to change the way the law of Hueco Mundo works? I mean it'd be great, but I don't' see how it is even possible." Loly sighed.

Menoly spoke the most assuredly, "I would do anything to achieve that."

He laughed, "If you three want to change the way things are in this place, then you share my desires. Since we all strive for the same thing, it makes us kin."

"Kin? How are we like you though? You've already evolved into a Vasto Lorde," Loly said doubtfully.

The orange haired hollow looked at her with his haunting golden eyes, "That doesn't make us different…I can tell you from experience, that the emptiness only gets more unbearable at my stage of evolution. I want to help you three…but I want you to help me as well. Nobody can survive this place alone without eventually giving into despair."

His words seemed to strike deep as the three Adjuchas silently contemplated on his words. After a long silence Ichigo looked over the trio, "I want you three to show me what you can do…and I will show you how to make yourselves stronger."

"I'll go first," Menoly stepped forward. She stepped forward and charged a red cero like orb between both claws. She jabbed it forward and released the attack in a beam. Much to her shock, Ichigo appeared in front of the cero and quickly deflected it with his bare hand.

The scorpion seemed surprised by his action. Ichigo looked at her closely, "You're a scorpion…have you ever considered using the power of your cero in a different way?"

"What do you mean?" Menoly asked confused.

"Imagine yourself in a battle. For the sake of practice, I'll let you use it on me. Don't worry about hurting me and just try to grab me with your claws while you fire your cero from each one," he requested.

Menoly seemed confused by the remark but nodded, "Okay…but I don't see what the point of that would be." She charged two independent ceros in each claw this time and as she fired them she tried to snap her claws at Ichigo.

Much to her astonishment, it launched a wave like split from each claw splitting the two ceros into four beam like extensions. They followed the motions of her claws and quickly surrounded Ichigo. She was worried it would hurt him for a split second but sighed in relief as he blocked the spirit claws with each of his hands.

Ichigo laughed approvingly, "Good…now show me what that stinger is capable of!"

Doing as instructed, Menoly's stinger flailed towards him remarkably fast. She wondered how he would block it with both hands preoccupied. Shockingly, her tail was stopped as Ichigo jumped up with both feet catching it between them.

She followed up by releasing a poisonous shot out of the stinger which he promptly dodged. "Good work, Menoly…you caught on fast. As you can see, your spiritual pressure is like an extension of your own body. A normal Adjucha would have no defense against what you just did."

"Amazing! Why haven't I ever done this before?" Menoly said to herself as she backed off of Ichigo.

He turned his head towards Loly, "Your turn, Centipede…show me what you can do."

Loly hissed as she immediately burrowed underground. Ichigo calmly stood still awaiting her to emerge. The Adjucha burst out at surprising speed as she quickly circled him. Her additional legs quickly seemed to harden as her spiritual pressure rose. They appeared bladed as she tried to ensnare him.

Ichigo quickly evaded her and reappeared nearby and shook his head, "No…that won't work against a faster or a stronger opponent. You need to do what she just did…find a way to trap me."

The woman pounced aggressively as her front arms attempted to fire a cero. As she did this, the back half of her segmented body unleashed a poisonous cloud. It didn't seem to affect him much to Loly's surprise, but she followed through with her strategy nonetheless, and channeled spiritual pressure over her bladed bone like legs. This gave her an almost serrated appearance. Moving fast, she fired her cero whilst simultaneously trying to wrap Ichigo.

He easily deflected her attack and leapt over her ensnaring body before jumping back. The Vasto Lorde nodded, "Good…if you get a bit faster then that technique would be quite effective against other Adjuchas."

Loly seemed proud of herself as she moved back in line. Ichigo finally rested his eyes on Apacci who seemed a bit skittish. The deer like Adjucha looked at him uncertainly, "Well…I can't really do fancy stuff like that."

"Just show me…this is to help you all improve," Ichigo spoke reassuringly.

The deer finally sighed in acceptance, "Okay, here goes…"

Ichigo watched curiously as she charged a small cero on her front horn. She jerked her head and launched it forward towards him.

Ichigo easily caught the attack, "Don't hold back…you're not going to hurt me, Apacci."

"Fine, but you asked for it," she replied before repeating the same action. This time, the cero grew larger. Instead of firing it like he expected, she came charging forward. He was surprised when she launched it nearly point break range. Instead of firing like a typical beam, it compressed into a spiked extension of her horn.

As he caught it, Ichigo immediately tossed her down to the side, throwing Apacci off balance. The deer stumbled over and spoke up embarrassingly, "Ugh…sorry. That's the first time I've tried something like that."

"It wasn't bad…did you try to do what they did?" Ichigo asked her.

Apacci nodded almost embarrassed, "Y-yeah…I guess it didn't go as well as I had hoped."

"I wouldn't be so sure…" Ichigo replied as he pointed to a devastating trail of destruction behind him.

The deer Adjucha stared at the scene wide-eyed, "Did I do that? But…you stopped my attack."

"What happened was you fired off a compressed cero. The remaining spiritual energy formed an extension over your horn which you charged me with. Something like that could be quite effective if you knew how to use it. I can see it working especially well against an opponent who underestimates you," Ichigo said thoroughly.

Apacci simply looked at him surprised, "I had no idea I could do that…"

"That's the whole point of this little training session. I want you three to think about what you just did. You have your abilities, and you know how to use them…but there is always room for improvement. There is always a way to make it more effective," he continued.

The three Adjuchas watched him awestruck. Loly seemed to be much less hostile now as she spoke approvingly, "This might actually be worth it…"

Menoly seemed shocked by Loly's words but quickly followed up with her own comments, "You see the world so differently than we do…I think I prefer your way. Is this how you've become so strong?"

"It's part of the reason…but like I said, if you have the will to achieve something, then nothing is impossible. Follow your instincts, but never rely solely upon them. Ingenuity and ambition will motivate you to push your capabilities to the limit," he concluded.

"Can we keep training?! I'm enjoying this!" Apacci spoke enthusiastically as she pranced towards Ichigo again. The Vasto Lorde cackled at her enthusiasm, "Alright…then I want you to try something else, Apacci."

"What?" she asked immediately with glimmering anticipation.

"Make that cero larger…use as much of your spiritual power as you possibly can. I want you to fire it at me again. This time, don't trip either," he laughed.

She did as commanded and kicked up sand as she charged him. While doing so she charged the cero over her horn with as much power as she could. Ichigo wasn't satisfied by its size, "Focus it between your antlers…like I did with my horns when I killed the last of those Adjuchas hunting you."

Apacci slowed down slightly as she tried to do so. Much to Ichigo's approval, the red cero began to grow larger as it formed between her forward horn and two antlers. She almost couldn't believe the power behind her own cero, '_Have I had this potential all this time? I've never felt this kind of power before_…'

As she closed in, Apacci released her cero causing Ichigo to block it with one hand. As it fired, she charged low and swept her antlers at Ichigo. She was hoping to take advantage of the fact he had only one hand to fight back.

Ichigo was pleased to see that she had her spiritual pressure focused around her antlers as she pushed him back. This allowed her cero to actually collide. She followed up by trying to stab him with her charged horn. However, this time before he could grab it, the Adjucha kicked back on her hind legs and leapt over him.

She hoped to land a sweeping hit, but was swiftly tripped as Ichigo deflected the rest of her cero. Afterward he nodded proudly, "You're getting better at it. Just remember not to overextend…durable opponents could easily have countered you as I just did."

"So what do I do then?" She asked disappointed.

"You need to get faster…in fact, all three of you would be a terror on the battlefield if you improved your speed," Ichigo said as he looked over their mixed reactions.

Menoly shook her head, "How though? I don't see how it's possible for an Adjucha to get any faster other than evolving."

"That's where you're wrong…you know what a sonido is correct? How good are you three at doing it?" Ichigo asked causing the three to eye him slightly downcast.

Loly sighed, "Yeah we know what it is…It's that loud sound hollows make when they move super fast. I'm okay at it I guess."

"I'm pretty good at doing those…but how does that help in combat?" Apacci wondered.

Ichigo immediately appeared right next to her with a Sonido and placed a hand on the deer Adjucha. Her eyes widened with disbelief, "H-how did you move that fast?!"

"I've always been fast…I don't know if I can teach you how to move as fast I do, but I do have an idea. I want you to Sonido back and forth between this cave and that direction," Ichigo pointed.

"Just do it as many times as you can," Ichigo said as the three gave him uncertain looks.

Loly huffed in annoyance, "What's the point of that? It sounds like a waste of time and energy…"

"It will build your stamina and maybe improve your speed as well. If you manage to do it one hundred times without stopping, then you'll be ready for the next stage of speed training," he explained.

"You already have training planned for us?" Menoly asked surprised.

Ichigo nodded, "I thought about it on the way here…somehow I figured you two wouldn't turn me down."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Loly protested.

"This might take some time, so be patient…just focus on what you're doing. Once you all improve your speed, we'll go hunting together," he replied.

"I don't care how long it takes, I want to move like you do!" Apacci spoke up excitedly.

She immediately used a sonido to appear far into the distance. A Moment later she reappeared at the cave. The deer adjucha laughed eagerly, "This isn't that hard! I doubt this will take long at all!"

Menoly and Loly both repeated the action and swiftly reappeared. Loly sighed in annoyance, "This is such a waste of time…how is this supposed to make us faster?"

"Just keep going…" he responded with an amused tone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

All three Adjuchas were on the ground collapsed from exhaustion. Ichigo shook his head at the sight, "It took you longer than I thought it would."

Loly seemed aggravated, "This is…wasting our energy. What are we going to do if another hollow attacks us in this condition?"

"Nothing's going to happen to you as long as I'm here. We can do this later if you're all too tired to continue," he replied calmly.

Apacci stood up first, "We don't have to stop! I want to keep training unlike this pushover!"

"Who are you calling a pushover?!" Loly sprung off the ground with newfound vigor. Ichigo couldn't help but find the scene amusing.

"Obviously you since you're complaining about wasting energy. I feel fine!" Apacci replied.

Loly scoffed at her, "Your legs are shaking…I don't believe you. Besides, you're way smaller than we are so it should be easier for you!"

"It's not my fault you're encumbered unlike me," Apacci shot back.

Menoly shook her head and sighed, "Honestly, I feel okay too, Loly…though I am tired."

"Now that you've all had some time to train and get to know each other, I think it's time we went on our first hunt together. We can continue this training later. Honestly, I don't know how long you've been without eating," Ichigo interrupted their argument.

Menoly immediately perked up, "Hunting? You want us all to go hunting?"

"Yes…while this training is beneficial, you three do need to keep improving your power the traditional way as well," the orange haired hollow explained.

"I've never really hunted in a group before…" Apacci spoke up somewhat nervously.

Ichigo glanced over at Loly and Menoly, "I doubt they have either. They're used to trapping and ambushing. Not that there's anything wrong with that. You three could find a way to work together."

"How though?" Menoly asked uncertainly.

Apacci held her head dejectedly, "What kind of hollows would we be hunting though? I don't like the idea of picking off stragglers. That's just unfair."

"Oh don't you worry…we're hunting the hunters. Let's see how mad I can make Barragan when my pack starts preying on his army," Ichigo laughed.

The deer Adjucha seemed shocked, "We're hunting Barragan's army?! That's crazy…we'll be killed!"

"No you won't…I'll be there to make sure you three don't die. This will be some good combat experience wouldn't you say?" the hollow continued laughing.

Menoly shook her head, "I know you're not afraid of Barragan, White…but we are! Wha-what if he starts coming after us?!"

"I'm counting on that…instead of tracking down stray hollows to eat, you three can just eat the idiots that line up to come after us," he said enthusiastically.

Loly traded an uncertain look with Menoly, "I don't know…some of Barragan's followers are pretty strong."

"Well I'm in! Let's go find some right now!" Apacci chanted eagerly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Closer to Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Umm…you've got to be kidding me right?!" Loly shook her head worried.

"What's the problem?" Ichigo asked curiously.

The Adjucha raised a brow and gave him a look of disbelief, "There's over a dozen of them!"

"So what? Numbers means nothing in the grand scheme of power here. There's three of you…Apacci is the fastest, so she should go in first and lure them back. You two could ambush from below and easily catch them off guard. If any give you trouble then use your new abilities," Ichigo replied thoughtfully.

Menolly seemed concerned about his explanation, "So what will you be doing, White?"

"Watching of course…it'd be too easy if I helped you kill them. I'm just there to make sure you don't die," he explained casually.

Apacci's eyes widened, "Why do I have to be the bait though!? Some of those guys are huge!"

"It sounds to me like she's scared…maybe we should come up with another plan so princess here doesn't get hurt," Loly cut in dryly.

The deer Adjucha directed a fearsome glare towards her, "I'm not scared! I'll do it…just you watch!"

"Go then…we're waiting," Loly taunted with a smug grin.

"Well…what should I do exactly?" Apacci asked Ichigo. The orange haired Vasto Lorde chuckled at her question, "Just go bad mouth Barragan and say that I'm stronger than he is. I'm sure that'll get them angry at you."

"Err…right," Apacci said slightly skittish, but nevertheless she made her way towards the Adjuchas grouped up in the distance.

"She's totally scared…" Loly laughed.

"I would be…I'm just glad White's here otherwise we'd be in trouble," Menoly said worriedly.

Ichigo glanced at the scorpion, "Don't underestimate yourselves…you three will be masters at this in no time."

"Anyone that serves Barragan is weak!" Apacci shouted as she neared the hunting party.

"What did you just say!? You're going to be our next meal, little Adjucha!" an angered voice bellowed in the distance. Ichigo, Loly, and Menoly looked over to see Apacci running extremely fast towards them.

The Vasto Lorde motioned for both of the remaining Adjuchas to get in position for their ambush. They each burrowed beneath the sand as Apacci kept running. Ichigo himself quickly vanished from sight high into the air where he could watch the scene from above.

Almost all of the Adjuchas came charging after Apacci angered by her shout. As the group got nearer, Apacci stopped in her tracks and flipped around charging a cero over her front horn and antlers. This caused the other Adjuchas to stop as they contemplated the idea of dodging or countering it.

Then much to their shock, the deer Adjucha came charging towards them with the orb still charged over her horn. Several tried to move out of the way, as she got near, but each flank was immediately blocked as both Loly and Menoly sprung out of the sand.

Loly wrapped two of the Adjuchas between her bladed legs as she unleashed a torrent of poison into the group. Menoly cleaved through the other side with her cero like claw extensions causing heavy damage to several of them outside hollows.

The front of the pack was unable to avoid the charging Apacci and chose to counter her cero with their own instead. However, as they fired prematurely due to her close proximity, Apacci leapt into the air and jerked her head downward causing the attack to blast them from a higher angle.

Several tried to flee, but were unable to as Menoly grabbed them with her claws. Loly's poison seemed extremely effective in disorienting and damaging the group, preventing them from countering the landing Apacci. With her horned extension, Apacci impaled several bringing down quite a few. Those left alive tried to cheap shot the deer, but were immediately met with a sting from Menoly completely paralyzing them.

The aftermath was twelve downed Adjuchas and three very surprised ones. Apacci pranced around joyously, "We actually did it?!"

"That was an impressive move, Apacci…" Menoly complimented as she let out a sigh of relief.

"They didn't even see us coming…" Loly noted as she began to eat one of the downed hollows. Ichigo landed nearby and nodded approvingly, "That was a good first hunt. You three work better together than I thought you would. Let's head back to the cave. Get some rest. From here on out we're going to train, hunt, and sleep."

Apacci gave Ichigo a strange look, "Hey Ichigo…"

"What is it, Apacci?" the orange haired hollow asked.

The deer looked away, "Do you think any of us have the capability to become Vasto Lordes like you? I mean…I've heard a lot about them. Some Adjuchas say that those who become Vasto Lordes were meant to and that not every Adjucha has the capability."

"I don't know…it's difficult to say that only a select few were meant to become the elite. Although there may be some truth in the matter. To be honest, I think that's a question you have to ask yourself. When I first learned about Ajuchas and Vasto Lordes as a Gillian, I knew that one day I would become one. There's no doubt that I was born with more power than a typical hollow should have. That being said, I believe anything is possible," Ichigo said distantly.

Loly simply shrugged, "I could care less about evolving…I just don't want to become a Gillian again."

Menoly nodded in agreement, "You got that right…though I want to be as strong as I can be…whether as an Adjucha or a Vasto Lorde."

"That's a good attitude to have," Ichigo said as he glanced back down at the defeated hunting party, "eat up, girls…

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Okay so there's a quick update for now. Not a very eventful chapter, but things will start to pick up soon. Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Being Human**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karakura Town XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A tall, dark-haired man with a light beard and a determined face walked quickly as he made his way to a shop. Two children were arguing in front of it as he approached.

"Ururu! Stop standing around and being so useless!" a foul-tempered red haired boy shouted.

The much more passive, black haired girl looked down almost shamefully with her doe eyes, "Sorry, I'm coming Jinta,"

"Yeah, you are sorry!" the other child continued. Before either one could say another word, they noticed the arrival of the stranger.

"Can I help you?" Jinta half-demanded as the man stared at him for a moment.

"Is Urahara-san here?" he asked emotionlessly.

Ururu nodded, "Yes sir…he's in the shop."

"Hey who are you supposed to be anyway?" Jinta followed up as he sent a fierce glare towards the stranger. The man said nothing as he made his way past them up towards the door. Much to his relief, Urahara quickly spoke for himself as he walked outside, "Ah c'mon, Isshin…we've known each other long enough for you to call me Kisuke. What brings you here, to my little shop? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I think you know why I'm here…" Isshin replied with a slight touch of hostility in his voice. Kisuke immediately got serious once he noticed the other man's attitude.

"Let me guess…you're wondering about that spiritual pressure which showed up in Karakura Town the other day?" Urahara asked knowingly.

The other man nodded, "Yes…as you know, my powers have slowly been coming back, but that night I actually sensed something after Karin ran away."

"What'd she run away for?" Urahara questioned with a slight frown.

Isshin sighed, "We were visiting Ichigo and Masaki's gravesites. Karin hasn't been the same since her brother died. I think she knows what happened to Ichigo…but she never talks about it. When we went to visit his grave the other night, she got upset and took off. Shortly afterward, I sensed a hollow for the first time in years. It was going after her I think."

"I see…well it may interest you to hear that there was a strange hollow sighting a few nights back. Two in fact. The hollows that appeared here the other night were certainly nothing to laugh at…my sources tell me they were Vasto Lordes. From what I understand, the soul society sent four captains to deal with it," Kisuke said casually.

"Four captains?! That's overkill even for a Vasto Lorde…wait did you just say there were two of them? Why would two be working together? We've never seen hollows cooperate like that before. Not to mention…Vasto Lordes are extremely rare. Two together is a sight nobody could even see in their entire lives. Are you sure of this?" Isshin said disbelievingly.

"Eh, from what I found out, it was definitely two Vasto Lordes. You say you sensed one of them going after your daughter huh? What happened after that?" The man contemplated as he waved his fan harder.

The former captain took a deep breath and stared at Urahara with complete seriousness, "I caught a glimpse of it fleeing when I caught up to Karin. The hollow looked a lot like the one that attacked Masaki and myself many years ago. It had the same horns and mask…but it looked different than before. You don't think it could be the same one do you? I mean that'd be impossible for that hollow to be alive right?"

"I was listening in on some gossip from the Soul Society, and apparently they've got a name for that hollow. The one with forward facing horns…it calls itself White," Urahara explained.

Isshin cracked a fist, "It can't be the same one though could it?"

"Wait…so you're saying you think this hollow is _that_ one? Well, that would definitely explain it's unusual power. Though, I haven't really seen this thing up close, so I couldn't tell you for sure," Kisuke theorized.

"I know it's _that_ hollow…I'll never forget those eyes it had," Isshin said distantly.

Kisuke shrugged, "Well if you already know then why are you asking me?"

"Cut me a break will you? I was just wondering if you knew for sure. I just have this gut feeling that it's the same hollow. That creature is after my family, and I need to know why," he stated annoyed.

Kisuke cocked his head, "Did it attack your daughter at all?"

"I don't think it got a chance to. After I sensed it for the first time, I could also sense many spiritual pressures appearing. I'm assuming that must have been the four captains they sent to fight this hollow," Isshin stated.

"That makes sense I suppose…but as interesting as all of this is, what did you come to me for?" Urahara asked again.

Isshin stared at him intently, "I think that hollow killed Ichigo…I don't know how it's alive, but it has a vendetta against me and my family. If it's going to be a danger, then I can no longer shirk my duty…I wish to speak to the Soul Society."

"Err…are you sure that's a good idea, Isshin? I highly doubt they're gonna welcome you with open arms after you just up and abandoned your post all those years ago," Kisuke sighed.

He nodded, "This hollow is my responsibility…I need you to open a door to the soul society so I can speak to the Gotei 13. I'll accept whatever punishment they demand…but I cannot sleep knowing that thing is still alive. For the memory of my son…it needs to die."

"Jeez, Isshin…I've never seen you this worked up before. Here, come on inside, and have some tea first," Urahara gestured for the other man to come in his shop.

The former captain crossed his arms, "Don't try to talk me out of it…I'm also going to need you to watch after Karin and Yuzu until I get back. I know they'll be safe with you while I'm gone."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society Some Time Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"This captain's meeting is hereby assembled. Is everyone ready to discuss how to deal with this White?" Yamamoto demanded.

All of the other captains had reassembled after spreading word through the ranks about White. The Vasto Lorde had become quite the iconic symbol of infamy in the Soul Society after hearing about its ruthless battle against Captains.

Soifon was the first to speak, "Captain Commander…allow me to make a suggestion. Could we perhaps use the humans it was after as bait and ambush it?"

"It would be unfair to involve humans in such a dangerous ploy, Captain Soifon…I believe we simply need a stronger presence in Karakura Town, as well as full surveillance of strong spiritual pressures in the world of the living. This hollow appeared once…it likely will again," Ukitake cut in.

"We need to catch this thing off guard! If it has the power to fight off two captains at once, and outsmart half of you fools, then we can't just wait around until it shows up," Soifon argued.

"I believe she is right in this matter…conventional defense will not suffice. We need to hunt this hollow down before it has the chance to wreak more havoc. From the way it commanded the other Vasto Lorde, I wouldn't doubt if this hollow had the potential to rally more of its kind against us," Byakuya agreed.

The sound of doors opening soon caught everyone's attention as Isshin walked in with his Shinigami attire. The tattered white haori remnant on his shoulder quickly caught everyone's eye. Toshiro was the first to speak, "Captain, Shiba!?"

"What is the meaning of this intrusion? Captain Shiba, why are you here?" The head captain yelled authoritatively.

"Well there's a face I haven't seen in a while…" Kyoraku said casually with a grin. Several Shinigami quickly ran behind Isshin and bowed low, "Sorry head captain! We didn't know what to do…he demanded to see you."

"You are dismissed…and close the door behind you," Yamamoto commanded causing the lower ranking Shinigami to leave immediately.

The old captain stared Isshin down with a serious expression, "Captain Shiba…you abandoned your post if I'm not mistaken. What gives you the authority to intrude unannounced and uninvited?"

"Captain Commander Yamamoto, I've returned because of the hollow that's been sighted. The one with forward facing horns…I've fought it before. That thing almost killed my wife decades ago…and I believe it killed my son," Isshin explained.

"As unfortunate as that is, I fail to see how that matters to this Captain's Meeting. You have no place within the Gotei 13 and no authority to make requests here. Your former ties to the Qunicies are no secret to me as well. You had better have a good reason for being here!" Yamamoto announced.

Isshin bowed his head, "Hear me out, Captain Commander Yamamoto…I don't want my seat back in the Gotei 13 and I could care less about the Shiba family inheritance. All I want is for you to tell me where that hollow, White is."

"You say you've seen this hollow before…when? How is that even possible Captain Shiba? The Hollow White, was a Gillian when we first encountered it years ago. We would have noticed an encounter between two beings of your power," Hitsugaya cut in doubtfully.

Isshin shook his head, "I first encountered it decades ago. That hollow was unusual…even after killing it the creature didn't die in a traditional way…I think it's found a way to return. And now it's after my family in order to get revenge."

"An interesting bit of information if I do say so myself," Gin noted with a sly foxy grin.

'_You fool…have you not even considered the possibility that the hollow is actually your son? Or are you simply blinded by your grief and refuse to accept that possibility?_' Aizen inwardly laughed. Nevertheless, he kept a poker face as he spoke factually, "I believe your theory may in fact be correct, Captain Shiba…this hollow is certainly not like any others we've seen. Though truthfully, there is very little we truly know about them."

"If it has a history with you, then that might explain its hatred for Shinigami. The fact that it somehow survived a battle against you would give it reason to behave this way," Tousen added.

Gin seemed to catch onto Aizen's and Tousen's behavior and spoke up also, "Captain Commander, If I may speak, I believe Captain Shiba's request is reasonable. I see no reason why you should deny him. I myself would feel responsible in his position."

"I don't know why he left, but Captain Shiba's a good man…I vouch for his integrity, Captain Commander," Toshiro spoke up as well.

"I don't need you to vouch for that, boy…I've known Captain Shiba since before you were born!" Yamamoto declared annoyed. Hitsugaya submissively nodded as he decided not to argue.

Isshin gave him a nod of thanks nonetheless, "I appreciate their input, but I want to make things perfectly clear here. I have no desire to earn your forgiveness…I just want to avenge my son and to make sure that thing stays away from my daughters."

Aizen almost grinned, '_I wasn't expecting him to show up, but that's no hindrance to my plan. This might just be the best opportunity to deal with him before his powers fully return. Not to mention, I will take great pleasure in seeing his anger when he learns the truth_.'

Yamamoto seemed to be processing the idea as he stared Isshin down. After an unusual silence, he spoke, "Very well, Captain Shiba…I assume you wish to kill this abomination, and you want my permission?"

"Yes sir…I want to destroy it once and for all. It's the reason I originally had to leave my post. It nearly killed my wife as well," he explained.

Several of the captains seemed interested by his explanation. Yamamoto raised a brow, "Is that so? If that is indeed the case, then perhaps you should go and regain your honor by killing it. I will allow you to participate in our dealings with the creature. After it's dead, I will officially decide how to deal with your abandoning the soul society. Is that understood?"

"I understand…" Isshin replied seriously.

Yamamoto nodded as he motioned for Isshin to stand at the end of the group. Deciding to be the smartass of the group, Kyoraku chuckled, "Old man Yama took that better than I thought he would."

Nobody responded to his comment much to his disapproval. After a brief silence, Byakuya spoke, "As I stated earlier, Head Captain, White seems to possess a certain degree of influence over other hollows…it seems likely that this hollow is challenging the Soul Society."

"Are you kidding me?" Soifon crossed her arms, "no hollow would be stupid enough to directly taunt the Soul Society."

Unohana seemed deep in thought, "We've battled hollows this powerful before…but they've never been as organized as we have, or as defended. White may tip the balance against us, if it is not eliminated soon."

"I understand everyone's concern, but one hollow, no matter how powerful is that big of a threat to the soul society. This thing needs to die for its actions, no doubt, but I believe many of you are overreacting. Vasto Lordes, are extremely powerful, but the very few that do exist are around captain level. It would be impossible for that many powerful hollows to gather, assuming that many even exist. You're all just assuming the worst because you couldn't kill it easily with your bankais," Soifon ranted.

"You talk like that'd be a bad thing. I've been waiting years for something this exciting to happen," Kenpachi added as he imagined the possible future battle.

"This is not something to find exciting, Captain Zaraki…what we're dealing with is a hollow that does not fear us. We must tread lightly…we don't know what else it's capable of," Byakuya said distantly.

"This hollow is definitely powerful, but it is also a coward. If we can corner it, than we can kill it," Toshiro spoke assuredly.

"I agree…no hollow, no matter how powerful can face the full might of the Soul Society," Komamura noted.

"All squads are to be put on high alert…regular patrols will be made to the world of the living, and I want at least four captains in Karakura Town around the clock. If you're all too feeble to kill this hollow, then you are undeserving of the rank of captain, and I will be forced to kill it myself…don't let it come to that," Yamamoto commanded threateningly.

"Yes sir!" everyone shouted in unison, minus Isshin.

"Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Zaraki, Captain Soifon, Captain Kuchiki, and Captain Shiba. I am hereby deploying all of your squads to the World of the Living. You will stand by while Captain Kurotsuchi develops a way for us to enter and return from Hueco Mundo. The rest of you are charged with the defense of the Seireitei. Dismissed!" Yamamoto concluded.

Afterward, everybody filed out of the Captain's meeting, minus Isshin. The man walked up towards the first Captain with determination in his eyes. Kyoraku and Unohana both sent him curt nods as he passed. Upon reaching the old warrior, Isshin spoke seriously, "I appreciate your willingness to let me do this Head Captain…I will do everything in my power to slay this hollow."

"There is one condition I neglected to mention…you are to rejoin the Soul Society and become a captain once a seat becomes available…" Yamamoto stated.

Isshin seemed shocked, "What? But…I can't, I have a family back in the world of the living."

"I will hear none of your excuses, boy…you were one of my finest captains. I have no doubt that you will fare better than these young, arrogant children. My personal opinion about your life decisions aside, I will not deny the Soul Society the chance to regain one of its strongest captains," Yamamoto explained.

The other man seemed doubtful, "I can't though…my daughters need me."

"You should have thought of that before you returned here…I will not throw away a useful captain out of spite. Now leave…" he replied before pounding his cane authoritatively.

Isshin slowly nodded and reluctantly turned away, "We will negotiate the terms of my return once this is over, Head Captain…"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Outside of Squad One Barracks XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As Isshin walked outside and made his way through the Seireitei, he was soon surrounded by the four captains he would be stationed with. All of them eyed him up and down curiously. Kenpachi was the first to speak, "So you used to be a captain eh? Must have been pretty strong if the old guy agreed to let you go with us."

"Mind your words, Captain Zaraki…Captain Shiba used to be my Captain. He's no pushover…I'll bet he's more than a match for you," Hitsugaya said as he directed a glare towards Kenpachi.

"Is that right?! What about it, Captain Shiba? Want to put that theory to the test?" Kenpachi asked with a wicked, beaming smile.

Isshin simply stared at him carelessly, "I'm not interested in fighting people for no reason. You'll find out for yourself, how strong I am when we see White."

"Hah! Alright, then…but once it's dead, I want to see what you're made of," Kenpachi replied.

Byakuya spoke slowly, "Assuming that nonsense is over…allow me to introduce myself formally. I don't believe we've ever officially met, Captain Shiba…but I welcome your aid in this mission. I am Byakuya Kuchiki, head of the Kuchiki Family."

"I remember when you were a kid…your grandfather spoke highly of you, as did Yoruichi," Isshin said as he briefly nodded his head respectfully.

"I'm Captain Soifon…and that's all you need to know. So long as you don't get in my way or tell me what to do then I won't have a problem with you…" Soifon said as she crossed her arms.

"Did you mean to rhyme that on purpose?" Isshin couldn't help but laugh.

The woman immediately got flustered, "Shut up…I can already tell I'm going to hate you."

"I miss when Yoruichi was the Captain of Squad Two…" Isshin added fuel to the fire. This seemed to work as the woman got fired up, "What'd you just say?!"

"Well you four should probably go attend to your squads," another voice sounded.

Everyone turned to see Aizen standing there with a courteous grin. Soifon wasted no time walking away mean mugging Isshin. Kenpachi and Byakuya said nothing as they simply left. Toshiro was the only one left and stared at Aizen doubtfully, "What do you want Captain Aizen?"

"Nothing, just passing by," he smiled as he began to walk past them. He and Isshin locked gazes briefly as they passed.

Both had thoughts on the encounter. Isshin narrowed his brow, '_Something's not right with him_…'

'_With all of you gone…securing the Hogyoku will be as easy as taking candy from a baby_. _And if Ichigo just so happens to defeat any of you while I'm busy, then all the better_,' Aizen laughed inwardly.

After he passed, Hitsugaya shook his head, "I should be on my way…feel free to come by Squad Ten if you'd like, Captain Shiba."

"Thanks," Isshin said as his eyes remained glued on Aizen.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo One Week Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"We've been killing these hunting parties for a while…do you three feel any stronger?" Ichigo asked his Adjucha followers. The trio all offered different responses. Loly shrugged, Menoly nodded silently, and Apacci pranced, "I feel so alive! There's nothing like a good ambush against Barragan's army."

"I'll say…I'm honestly shocked he hasn't retaliated yet," Menoly agreed.

Apacci gave her an amused look, "As if he'd believe hollows like us could do something to his so called 'elite fighting force!'"

"Yeah, but he might suspect White of the deed…and since we're always with him, that would make us credible," Menoly replied.

"You think that arrogant King would leave his big fancy palace to track us down? I doubt he even cares these minions of his have been going missing. I mean it's Hueco Mundo after all…hollows die all the time, right Ichigo?" Apacci turned to him for added input.

"I'm sure the pettiest of deeds would bother him. He left his palace to track me down after my first fight on the surface," Ichigo said as he remembered his encounter with the unusually strong panther Adjucha.

Loly seemed almost shocked by his comment, "That must have been quite a fight if it drew the King himself."

"It was less of a fight and more a scrap between me and this other powerful Adjucha. He was the first hollow I encountered that I couldn't easily kill," he responded.

"Umm…hey, White. I've been wondering something for a while now. I wanted to ask you sooner, but I wasn't sure if it was appropriate," Loly spoke up, "why does Apacci think your name is Ichigo?"

Menoly cocked her head as she gave Ichigo a stare, "Yeah that's been on my mind too…is it some nickname she calls you?"

"I already told you idiots that Ichigo is his name! He said so himself. How many times do I have to say it?" Apacci announced with a tone of annoyance.

"She's right, you two. Ichigo is what my name used to be…when I was human. I let her call me by it so I don't forget it. It sort of helps me to keep my mind focused when I think about my old life," he replied honestly.

Loly gave him an uncertain look, "So then you're trying to be human?"

"Not really…I'm just trying to keep my mind intact in this desolate place," he admitted causing the three to eye him uncertainly.

Menoly shook her head, "What do you mean? You're the most ingenious hollow I've ever seen. Your instincts are amazing."

"Yes…but there's more to life than instincts. We've had this talk before…I just need something. I don't know what it is, but the hope of finding it is the only thing that keeps me sane in this world. I've lost so many of my old memories…but I remember flashes of my old life. Family I used to have, and the only thing that keeps me from forgetting is that name," Ichigo sighed.

"Family?" Loly asked, "you had a family?"

"I did…" he said almost sadly.

Apacci seemed saddened as well by his mood, "Maybe that's what you're looking for?"

"What, a family?" Ichigo questioned doubtfully.

The deer shook her head, "No…companions. You said so yourself right? That's why you're helping us."

Ichigo seemed distant in his own thoughts, "Right…I did say that didn't I? I want to fill this emptiness…or at least distract myself from it."

"You don't have to explain yourself to us. I suppose it's difficult to go on once you've peaked your power in Hueco Mundo…I think I understand why you feel the way you do, Ichigo," Menoly said empathetically.

The orange haired hollow nodded at her remark, "Well it's good to not be alone…I'm glad you three are with me. It keeps me from going crazy…"

"Jeez, don't get all sentimental on us Ichigo…" Loly scoffed.

Apacci and Menoly both shot her a surprised look. Loly eyed them both curiously, "What? Why are you two looking at me like that?"

"You just called him Ichigo…" Menoly said surprised.

Loly cocked her head, "Oh…I guess I did."

"I don't care what you three call me…most know me as White, so you can address me as such if you'd prefer," he shrugged.

"I'll call you Ichigo, because I was the first person you ever told your real name to! Therefore I was your first companion." Apacci half bragged.

'_No you weren't…that Mouthless Hollow was. I wonder if he's okay,' _Ichigo thought distantly_, 'I wonder why he hasn't tracked me down yet? I hope he didn't go back to that pit…or maybe he can't find me? I should probably look for him._'

Loly scowled at Apacci, "Oh so you think you have some kind of deep connection with him then? I mean, this little group's good and all, but you did just meet him too. Plus Menoly and I knew him when he was an Adjucha."

"Have we just met though? I mean we've been traveling together for a while now" Menoly held her head dejectedly, "It feels like an eternity since before we knew you."

"Maybe it has been…it's hard to tell the difference between hours and days here. In the world of the living, the moon isn't always in the sky. It has day and night…it makes it easier to track," Ichigo explained.

Apacci sighed, "Well, if I counted correctly, that was our three hundredth kill together…"

"Has it been that many?" Loly asked amazed.

Menoly nodded, "I believe she's right…I've counted too."

Ichigo jerked his head towards the distance quickly silencing his companions. They all stared at him anxiously wondering what was wrong. Apacci spoke first, "What do you sense, Ichigo?"

"Something's following us," he said seriously as he stood up to face the direction of their stalker.

Ichigo immediately rose his spiritual pressure signaling a challenge to whatever was trailing them. It seemed effective in baiting their pursuer as a woman adorned in white landed in front of them. The Vasto Lorde brought out both of his swords threateningly as he hissed an echoing taunt, "Who are you?!"

The female creature had the face and body of a human which Ichigo found bizarre. Her mask appeared mostly gone minus some type of spiked hairclip mask fragment. Her hair was purple and she had teardrop shaped markings below her eyes. What seemed most unusual about her was she appeared to be carrying a Zanpakuto.

The Vasto Lorde stared at her uncertainly, '_Is she a Shinigami? Why is she dressed like that…and what's with the sword? Her face even looks human. What is she?!_'

"No way…this one is a Vasto Lorde! When I sensed it I thought it would have just been a powerful Adjucha. Dordoni, Gantenbainne, get over here!" the woman said enthusiastically.

A similar creature landed nearby the woman, followed by a third one. Of the two newcomers, both were male. One had a poof styled afro with a headband shaped mask fragment. The other was quite tall, and had medium length brown hair slicked behind some type of headpiece. He also sported a light van dyke beard and a red sash. Both of the newcomers seemed equally as surprised as the purple haired woman.

They all stared at Ichigo eagerly. "Look at those sword arms…and that mask! That hollow looks fearsome!" the one identified as Gantenbainne exclaimed. Ichigo stared at his unusual hair, '_What the hell is that supposed to be on his head?_'

"What a catch!" Cirucci said as she moved in closer. Her two companions slowly followed. The other man appeared more cautious as he noticed the dangerous look in Ichigo's golden black eyes.

"Cirucci, don't provoke it…Vasto Lordes are dangerous, even for Arrancars. We should try to communicate with it first," the brown haired man said as he motioned for the group to stay where they were.

'_Arrancars? What's an Arrancar?! Is it another type of Shinigami?!_' Ichigo thought as he stared them down with as much intimidation as he could project. It seemed effective as his power rose causing the sands to blow away from his direction.

The three quickly rose their arms up to block the sand as they tried to get a closer look. Dordoni squinted his eyes as he focused closely on Ichigo's appearance. The ghostly pale skin covered in blackened plate like armor made him very unique looking compared to most hollows. Upon identifying the lines down Ichigo's mask, the orange hair, and the forward facing horns, the Arrancar's eyes widened considerably.

"Do you see those horns?! And that Marked Mask?! Do you two know what hollow this is?!" Dordoni gasped.

"I've never seen you this serious before about anything. Is this some kind of famous hollow?" the afro man asked.

The other man scoffed at him, "You can't tell?! This thing matches the description of 'White!' He's even got the orange hair too!"

Gantenbainne's eyes widened, "Don't be ridiculous, Dordoni…White is just a legend that the Adjuchas made up to scare each other."

"Arrancars…" Ichigo spoke up catching the three newcomers' attention, "what are arrancars?!"

Apacci, Loly, and Menoly stood back silently as they watched Ichigo scare the Arrancars. The strange beings seemed amazed by Ichigo's reaction.

Cirucci grinned joyously, "There's little doubt this hollow is the real White. If he is, then we have to secure him by any means necessary. This has got to be the luckiest encounter imaginable."

"No doubt this will be dangerous," Dordoni nodded, "but we can't let him escape. Gantenbainne, get into position. Cirucci cover the other side. If he makes any sudden movements, be ready."

The afro man raised a brow, "Umm…I don't know, man. This one might be too strong for just the three of us to tame. We might need the boss for this."

"I'm already here…and if you value your lives, you wouldn't be doing what I told you not to do." a feminine voice sounded from behind them.

They all turned towards it surprised. "Neliel…it is good to see you. I didn't know you were nearby?!" Curucci said shocked.

"I just happened to be in the area when I felt this spiritual power…I immediately recognized it as White's. You three are lucky I showed up when I did. He could easily have killed any of you. I've had dealings with this hollow before. I will have a better chance of communicating with him than you will. Just stay back so he doesn't hurt you." Nel explained.

Curucci scoffed, "Why should we be afraid of him? Arrancars are more powerful than Vasto Lordes."

"Some are…but I doubt any of you could match him. You were all Adjucha born Arrancars. That aside, White probably thinks you're Shinigami." she stated causing the three Arrancars to nod.

As the woman approached, Ichigo looked at her curiously. Her aquamarine hair had an unexplained resemblance to that of the unusual Vasto Lorde he encountered during his Adjucha days. Upon looking at her mask fragment, Ichigo immediately realized she must have been the same being, '_She's got the same hair and mask as the hollow who healed me…she can't be a Shinigami though?_'

"You recognize me don't you, White? It's me, Nel…" the woman said as soothingly as she could.

Apacci, Loly, and Menoly were all distrustful of her as they all mouthed off different insults. "Hey, who are you supposed to be anyway? Get away from White, you wannabe Shinigami!" Apacci shouted.

"We're Arrancars…not Shinigami. I understand this must be confusing for you, but please listen. You and I are both hollows…we've simply regained parts of our humanity by taking off fragments of our masks." Nel stated as she walked closer.

"What kind of idiot would do that?!" Loly said doubtfully.

Ichigo growled as Nel got closer, "Stay where you are, Arrancar…don't come near me or my followers!"

"There's no need to be afraid, White…we mean you no harm," Nel tried to reason.

"Don't listen to this bitch! Her group was talking about taming you or something," Apacci said to Ichigo as she directed a distrustful glare towards the Arrancar.

Nel glanced back with an annoyed look towards her fellow Arrancars, "Don't mind what they said…that was a very crude and incorrect way to describe why we're here."

"What do you want from us?! If you're looking for a fight, then we'll kill you!" Menoly yelled somewhat angrily.

Nel sighed, "The Arrancars have been seeking others like ourselves…to band together. I assure you there is no malicious intent here. I want you to join us, White."

"Others like you? What makes you think I have anything in common with your kind? I don't go around pretending like I'm a Shinigami." Ichigo said defensively.

Nel frowned at his hostility, "I can tell that you nurture and protect those hollows at your back. You help them…just like I once helped you. It's called compassion. You and I both share this trait whether you believe it or not. You're on the verge of becoming an Arrancar like me…let us help you."

"You know her?" Loly asked disbelievingly.

Apacci's eyes widened, "Wait…she said she helped you. Was she that female Vasto Lorde you told me about?!"

"I am indeed, the same one…my name is Neliel. Please don't misunderstand my purpose. I am by no means a threat. White is a lot like I am, and I have been searching for him for quite some time," the Arrancar answered.

"Don't compare me to a Shinigami pretender such as you! If you're trying to talk me into ripping off my mask then you can get lost! I don't want whatever 'help' you're offering." he said defensively.

Nel seemed put off by his comment, "I don't remember you being this angry the last time we met. Has something happened since then to incite your rage against me?"

He was having a difficult time understanding his emotions as he kept a cautious glare focused on the Arrancar. Something about her offer seemed tempting, but he loathed the idea of becoming like a Shinigami. Ichigo scoffed at her, "Nothing has…until now."

"You claim you are not like us, yet you act as human as we do…I remember watching you from time to time. You strove to achieve greatness, to find meaning, and to fill the hole in your heart. You thought becoming a Vasto Lorde would grant you this…but it did not. Trust me when I say, I understand how it feels. All I'm doing is offering my help…trust your heart and listen to me," Nel elaborated.

"My…heart? What the hell are you talking about?!" he demanded.

"Listen, White…we Arrancars believe in becoming whole. We're hollows who want the same thing you want. This is by no means a ploy to subject you," she tried to reason.

Apacci growled at her, "How do you know what he wants?!"

Nel glanced at the deer with calm eyes, "Because I wanted the same thing…it's why I helped him. It's why he helped you."

"Then tell me what I want since you seem to understand me so well," Ichigo said doubtful sarcastic tone.

"I remember the look in your eyes the first time I met you…the longing to fill the emptiness. It angers you that you can't understand the meaning of your existence. I know what it's like, but listen to me when I say that you will never find what you're looking for if you remain a Vasto Lorde. Eventually what little soul, heart, and mind you have will dwindle into insanity as you endlessly kill other hollows in this barren desert. You'll be a killing machine driven only by instinct. Your soul might as well be trapped in Oblivion by that point…Is that what you want? I don't think it is," Nel continued.

Ichigo looked down for a moment contemplating her words. He couldn't deny that there was in fact truth in the underlying statement she had made. Nevertheless, he did not like they way it was presented. It almost felt like an ultimatum. The Vasto Lorde looked up at her full of anger, "So my only option is to become like a Shinigami?!"

"What is it about them that angers you so? Most Menos in Hueco Mundo have never even seen their kind." Nel asked concerned.

There was a long silence minus the sound of blowing wind and shifting sand. Ichigo scoffed, "The way they look at me…the way they kill hollows. Their unrestrained sense of entitlement…it makes me sick. I hate them!"

"You wouldn't be one of them though…you'd be one of us. Arrancars are very powerful, and we're closer to humans than even Vasto Lordes. Think of it more as you becoming like a human," Nel persisted.

He seemed doubtful, "How does removing parts of your mask make you more powerful? Not to mention, what makes you think you know what's best for me?!"

His spiritual pressure continued to rise as he stood there seething in anger. Everyone minus Nel appeared worried by this action as Ichigo pointed one of his sword arms at her, "I will not forsake this power I earned…I don't need help from some weaklings like you!"

Loly and Menoly traded shocked expressions. The former seemed troubled by his disposition, "I've never seen him like this before…"

"I think he's going to kill them…" Menoly replied as her eyes remained glued on the scene.

Apacci simply stared silently, '_Why is he so angry at her? I've never seen Ichigo lose his cool like this…_'

"Our power is by no means weak. Since power is all you seem to care about, allow me to show you mine. Our Zanpakutos contain our original hollow powers. We can better control it this way by focusing it into what's called a release. I believe you remember my old form…watch this." Nel responded calmly.

Ichigo watched curiously as Nel drew her sword and held it parallel to the ground. She place a hand on it as she focused her power, "Declare…Gamuza."

Nel and her sword both glowed as a sphere of pinkish energy erupted quickly alarming Ichigo and his companions. The light was blinding as it blasted back Nel's companions and Ichigo's Adjucha entourage. Sand kicked up even faster as the light faded, revealing Nel to be in a form very similar to her Vasto Lorde one.

Ichigo was surprised to say the least. Her power was unexpected as it caused him to slide back from the mere pressure. As if this were a challenge, he immediately countered her spiritual power with his own. Blackened red spiritual energy poured from his body causing her aura to abruptly stop in a clash with his.

This exchange of energy greatly alarmed everyone. Gantenbainne shook his head, "What is Neliel doing? That's just going to piss him off."

"She's doing this the hard way…" Dordoni sighed.

"I've never seen her release before!" Cirucci exclaimed almost excitedly. The purple haired Arrancar cheered, "kick his ass!"

Upon hearing this comment, Ichigo channeled blackened spiritual energy over his swords. He stared them down with hostility, "If you're so strong, Arrancar, then how's about you show me!"

"This isn't good…now she's gone and pissed it off," Gantenbainne said fearfully.

Nel looked at her friends briefly, "I'm doing this for your safety…he's slowly been losing control of his humanity ever since we arrived."

"That can't be good…" the brown haired arrancar said worried as he noticed Ichigo breathe heavily causing the very ground to rumble. The three Adjuchas at his back were more than terrified by their leaders' rising power.

They were barely able to stand as Ichigo's power continued to rise. Apacci looked at him frightened, '_I've never seen him this angry before_…_what's wrong with him?_'

With two tremendously powerful cleaves, Ichigo launched a double torrent of blackened energy at the group of Arrancars. It was immediately blocked by Nel as she charged her lance and cut both waves in half sending them veering into the distance. An explosion ignited in the distance causing the three lesser Arrancars to immediately gasp.

Cirucci's eyes widened disbelievingly, "What the hell was that?! Did you see what he just did?!"

"I'm so glad Neliel is here," Dordoni let out a breath of relief; he was thankful to still be alive. The arrancar leader looked back at the trio seriously, "Stay back…I don't want you three getting caught in the crossfire. I have to bring him under control."

Ichigo cracked his neck and growled, "I'm sick of you talking like you understand me and what I've been through! I clawed my way to the top of this hell, and I will not let somebody like you challenge me! I'm the most powerful hollow in Hueco Mundo!"

"I'm not challenging you…I was showing you my power. Though if you must insist on violence for no reason then it seems I have no choice but to fight you. I had hoped you would be less feral after all this time…it would seem I was mistaken. You're little more than a rabid beast it seems. Perhaps you aren't ready to become an Arrancar yet," Nel sighed.

"Perhaps you're ready to die…" he said darkly.

Nel stared at him passively which only seemed to incite his anger further. She shook her head disappointed, "So this is how you choose to repay my kindness? Perhaps it was a mistake to help you after all. If you will not accept your humanity then you are a danger to your followers and every living creature in Hueco Mundo." Nel said distantly as she rose her lance over her shoulder. She gripped it tighter as her eyes remained fixed on him, "Lanzador Verde."

She chucked the weapon at him like a javelin at an incredible trajectory. Ichigo could barely lift his arms in time to counter the weapon. It sent him sliding with tremendous force and actually managed to break one of his sword arms. Ichigo narrowly deflected the weapon force as he cut it with his other sword arm breaking its path.

He swiftly dove down and landed. His disbelief was evident as Nel used a Sonido to recover the lance midair. She landed in front of him and looked down at the Vasto Lorde, "Learn some humility, White…you're not the strongest hollow in Hueco Mundo. You're a beast with no control…one who's too afraid to swallow his pride."

Anger surged within him upon hearing this comment. For some reason, he felt an indescribable bloodlust take over him. He howled angrily as he held his arm up regenerating the damaged blade. Nel stared at him and sighed, "And there it is…you've lost control."

Ichigo charged her and attempted a powerful slash. Nel easily parried his attack with her lance before overpowering him. She twirled the weapon around and stabbed him dead center in the torso immediately drawing blood.

He couldn't even react in time as she lifted him off the ground with the weapon still imbedded. Nel brought him to her eye level, "I really hoped I wouldn't have to do this…"

Pink spiritual energy charged over the lanced as she flung the impaled Ichigo into a nearby rock formation. He was hanging from the wall bleeding profusely as it kept him pinned. Despite the devastating attack, Ichigo appeared no less feral as he writhed angrily.

"Rargh!" he growled as he lifted his legs up and kicked off the weapon pulling himself free of the rock wall. Nel blinked over towards him and immediately recovered her weapon moving in for another charge. Ichigo ducked under it and followed up with a low sweep attempting to slice Nel's legs. He was successful much to the other arrancars' displeasure. Nel grimaced in pain as she felt blood spurt from her freshly inflicted wounds.

"He cut through Neliel's Hierro!?" Gantenbainne gasped.

"This is bad…" Cirucci said with a low tone, "Her attack didn't even faze him!"

Nel said nothing as she continued to parry and counter Ichigo's attacks. The two were unsuccessful at landing a hit on the other for what seemed to be an endless flurry of swipes. Finally, Ichigo overextended as he leapt to slash Nel's throat.

She took advantage of this by standing back on her hind legs and kicking him. Ichigo quickly felt himself get crushed under her hoofed feet. Nel pointed her lance down at him and frowned, "Stay down…"

Unfortunately for her, Ichigo managed to push her off as he jabbed a blade through one of her front legs. Nel's face tensed at the pain, but she didn't say a word as she backed off. The Vasto Lorde wasted no time charging a colossal cero between his horns as she stood there motionless and bleeding.

Without thinking, he fired it at her, but right as his attack released, a moment of clarity struck him. '_Wait…she can redirect this_!' he thought, immediately realizing it was a mistake. Nel opened her mouth and swallowed the cero, much to the Adjucha girls' shock. They all stared horrified as Nel spit Ichigo's cero right back at him. '_What am I doing?! Apacci, Loly, Menoly! They're in danger!_' Realizing his companions could get hit by the attack, Ichigo flew in closer to block the full force of the counterattack.

He was barely standing afterward as his body visibly sizzled from taking the full force of his own cero at point blank range. Nel seemed surprised by his action, "So you do still have some control left?"

Ichigo hissed in pain as he tried to remain standing. Collecting his strength, he charged Nel again and began to swing like a rabid beast. Due to his weakened condition, Nel had no trouble parrying his attacks. She kicked him down and pointed her weapon at him again, "Stay down, White…don't let your rage consume you. You'll never beat me like that…"

"GAH!" he shrieked monstrously as he appeared behind her with a sonido. Right before he could decapitate her with a sword arm, Nel jerked her elbow back impaling him from behind with the back half of her lance. She immediately pulled the weapon out of his body sending him to the ground.

Ichigo felt his power dwindle as both sword arms receded. Lying there on the ground, Ichigo could only stare in disbelief as Nel looked down at him sadly, "I'm sorry I had to do that…but you gave me no choice. I don't want to hurt you anymore…so please just surrender."

'_Surrender?! She thinks I'm weak…I'm NOT WEAK_!' his mind was racing as he managed to stand up. His blade arms slowly came out again as he gathered his strength. Ichigo panted heavily and hissed between breaths, "DIE!"

Nel couldn't react in time as he leapt forward and stabbed her through the stomach. She stood there in disbelief as she felt the blackened sword arm sticking through her. Ichigo heaved her over his shoulder as he launched her with a wave of black spirit energy.

This sent the Arrancar flying into another rock wall. He wasted no time going after her ready to finish the woman off. The four legged Arrancar quickly recovered, but she was bleeding quite profusely as many wounds now covered her body.

She seemed less passive, and more worried as her eyes focused on him intently. Nel panted as she clutched her stomach. Her fellow Arrancars seemed worried as she stumbled slightly trying to keep a hold of her weapon.

"Nel!" Cirucci shouted fearfully. The woman tried to run in but was immediately held back by both Dordoni and Gantenbainne. Dordoni shook his head, "Stay back Cirucci…we'll only get in her way."

"He's about to kill her! We can't just stand here and do nothing!" she shot back.

Nel instantly voiced her opinion, "Get out of here, you three…I'll hold him off."

"But Nel!" Cirucci said upset, "we can't just abandon you!"

"Go! White's too strong…" she said half-defeated.

Ichigo looked over at the trio and growled as he charged a cero between his horns. Nel immediately intercepted it and fired it back at the rabid Vasto Lorde. This time Ichigo countered his redirected cero with a double cross slash from his swords.

His golden black eyes appeared almost evil as he slowly advanced. Everyone seemed disturbed as he released a menacing, echoing growl. Gantenbainne turned towards Cirucci, "We need to go, now! C'mon!"

The three Arrancars reluctantly left leaving Nel alone in front of this terrifying monster. Ichigo was about to pursue them but was blocked as Nel intercepted him with a fierce kick. This sent him sliding back a good distance. Once she was convinced that her friends were safely away, Nel clutched her lance tighter.

It seemed she had nothing left to say as she stared him down without fear. Ichigo watched her with intensity brewing. He cackled maniacally as he charged in for a final blow. Nel mustered her remaining power and braced for his attack.

As their attacks collided, the desert shook with unparalleled force creating a sandstorm around them. Nel was having trouble keeping up with his speed as she only managed to block half of Ichigo's relentless attacks. He furiously hacked away and roared, "I'm the strongest hollow in Hueco Mundo! Don't ever deny that!"

His statement was followed by a powerful jump attack. Ichigo guided both of his blades down for a vertical slash. Nel rose her Lance up and blocked both blades with either half of her lance. The two were deadlocked for a moment as they tried to overpower each other.

Nel felt herself sinking as the pressure behind Ichigo's swords began to overwhelm her. Deciding to take a gamble, she lifted her lance higher allowing Ichigo to push her further. With her remaining strength she spun in sideways flaking off both blades before impaling him in the stomach again.

The Arrancar didn't fare well from her risky attack as Ichigo stabbed both blades into her shortly after. Nevertheless, Nel began to charge as she ran him into the large rock formation nearby. The arrancar managed to impale him against the wall again, but she knew she had finally reached her limit. Nel grimaced in pain as she felt her powers dwindle, '_I'm done for_…'

Both hollows were bleeding severely as they kept their weapons imbedded in the other's flesh. After a few moments Nel spat up blood and let go of her lance. She pulled back and stumbled away pulling free from Ichigo's swords.

Her form immediately dissipated afterward as she changed back into her more humanoid appearance. The woman shook as she tried to breathe. She briefly dropped to her knee as she was no longer able to stand. The large lance impaling Ichigo against the wall disappeared as well and reformed back into her Zanpakuto.

The Arrancar looked up at him as she tried to stand. Ichigo himself was in rough shape as blood was oozing from his many wounds. They were not immediately healing due to the nature of Nel's attack. The Vasto Lorde slowly walked towards her with his blades extended.

Nel stood up finally and spoke sadly, "I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

Ichigo reared both blades back ready to execute the woman. As he swung them, Nel threw her Zanpakuto to the side. He immediately stopped mid swing as they locked gazes. Ichigo felt horrified, '_What the hell am I doing?!_'

The Arrancar stood there with a sad smile on her face, "You were right, White…you are the strongest. So kill me."

"Neliel," Ichigo said her name as he immediately felt regret for what he had just done. Part of him realized that she was right about all the things said prior to their battle. Ichigo stared into her eyes almost disbelievingly, "Why did you throw your weapon down?!"

"Why does it matter? You've won…isn't that what you wanted? To see me dead?" she replied.

He felt an indescribable shame from her question as he looked down distantly, "No…"

"I'll tell you what I wanted, White…I wanted a heart. I wanted a soul. I wanted happiness. I wanted to find and share these things with others," Nel said as she dropped to her knees again.

Ichigo seemed distraught by her words, "Why are you telling me this?"

Nel didn't respond as she simply stared at him.

"Ichigo!" Apacci shouted worried as she ran over towards the wounded Vasto Lorde. Upon noticing that Nel was still alive, the deer Adjucha stopped short.

Nel seemed surprised by the name, "Ichigo? Is that your real name, White?"

Loly and Menoly quickly caught up. Both traded shocked expressions seeing Nel still alive. Loly spoke up first, "You haven't kill her yet?"

"I can't kill her…" Ichigo said finally as he receded his swords. He looked down at her regretfully, "I'm a monster. She doesn't deserve this…"

"Are you kidding me? Didn't she just try to kill you?" Menoly protested doubtfully.

Nel smiled weakly at him, "I knew you were an Arrancar…Ichigo."

'_Maybe we are the same after all…_' Ichigo noted mentally as he began to calm down.

Before he could respond to Nel's comment, the woman collapsed into unconsciousness. Ichigo caught her before she hit the ground and lifted the defeated Arrancar bridal style. He looked at her intently, '_My pride almost cost this woman her life…why did I lose control? What made me so angry…she's not a Shinigami. She's a hollow…like me. She wanted to help me…to protect me. What's wrong with me?! Why did I hurt her like this?! Damn it!_'

"Umm…Ichigo? What are we going to do with her?" Apacci asked curiously.

The Vasto Lorde seemed depressed, "I shouldn't have lost control..."

"Wait, so you're going to take her offer and become an Arrancar then?!" Loly jumped to conclusions.

He shrugged, "I don't know about that, but I can't just leave her in this condition. She helped me once, and I repaid her with this…hatred. I feel terrible."

"We can talk about it later. Let's get out of here before other hollows show up to investigate this area," Menoly said concerned. Ichigo nodded as he lead his three companions away into the distance.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Further Away in Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A certain hollow sniffed the air with excitement as he felt a surge of spiritual power in the distance, "White!"

He grinned maniacally as he cracked his clawed hands, "I've finally found you!"

"Grimmjow…are you sure it's a good idea for us to go after that hollow again?" a tall almost skeletal like Adjucha asked concerned.

The hollow turned around to face him intently, "Why? Are you implying he's stronger than me, Shawlong?"

"No my lord…you are the King," the Adjucha bowed submissively, "but I believe he may very well be a Vasto Lorde by this point. Every hollow that has ever pursued him has died."

"Grimmjow can take that guy! He's a Vasto Lorde now!" Di Roy exclaimed excitedly. The former panther Adjucha was indeed a Vasto Lorde. Ever since his encounter with White, the beastly Adjucha had been fueled to become stronger than the infamous dragon.

Only recently had Grimmjow finally achieved what he sought for so long…the pinnacle of hollow evolution. His new form was quite formidable. He now stood on two legs, and had a more humanoid appearance compared to his previous panther form.

Despite that, he still possessed a tail, claws, and long feline ears. His hands and feet were black, and his face was covered in a fearsome looking mask. His feral blue eyes were accentuated with green markings over his mask's eyeholes that extended all the way back towards his greenish-blue furry ears.

The blue haired beast cackled, "White's time is coming soon…but first I think it's about time we put an end to Barragan. White won't be able to ignore my power after that…I will be the King."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Deep in the Outskirts of Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A certain mouthless, green-eyed hollow was sitting on top of cliff overlooking the empty desert. His eyes seemed distant and sad as he sat there alone, '_I wonder if White is okay...those Shinigami Captains couldn't have killed him_. _ Yet I haven't sensed him after all this time still...I hope he's alive_.' Ever since his return to the desolate desert of Hueco Mundo, the Vasto Lorde had been slightly depressed at being parted from his companion. He often reviewed the different things he and White had done during their journey together. The hollow felt a familiar emptiness arising ever since being parted with White.

Whether he knew it or not, Ulquiorra, had been genuinely concerned about the well being of his fellow hollow. The only other creature that had ever acknowledged him in his abyssal existence was White. Ulquiorra briefly looked up at the crescent moon, forever shining in the darkened sky. '_Why did we get separated? What am I supposed to do now? What would he have done?_' The green eyed creature thought about Ichigo's final words to him, '_Come find me when I return to Hueco Mundo he said...how am I supposed to find anything in this endless desert of nothingness_.'

Part of him was very distraught at why Ichigo wanted him to leave, but the more he thought about it, the more he began to realize that Ichigo had done it for a reason he didn't understand. '_Was he concerned about my safety? Or perhaps this is a test to help me cope in his absence. I don't understand you White...but you seem to understand me. I wish I could have at least told him my name._'

Just then, the hollow jerked his head forward as he sensed an immensely powerful spiritual signature echoing in the distance. Ulquiorra's eyes widened, '_Could it be him?! That power...I should go investigate_.'

Wasting no time, Ulquiorra began to fly towards the spiritual pressure in the distance with a hopeful thought on his mind, '_I'll find you White...and together we'll find what we're looking for_.'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Well that's a wrap for this chapter. Some serious stuff happened so I'll make a few comments about it. The scene between Nel and Ichigo may have seemed strange, but I wrote it that way for a reason. The natural transition from hollow to Arrancar always seems too seamless and simple in most stories. I tried to write it in a more realistic way in which Ichigo didn't want to give up what he worked to achieve. So yeah...

That aside, there's a few questions people have been asking that I suppose I'll answer. Don't worry guys…Ulquiorra's coming back SOON! As for Starrk, Lilynette, and Harribel…just be patient. Other than that, it seems Aizen's scheming and the Soul Society has an attack planned.

Also, the reason for Grimmjow being a Vasto Lorde in this story is simple. This story is an alternate universe. In my opinion…had Aizen never shown up to interfere in Hueco Mundo with the Hogyoku (assuming he hadn't been for decades already), a lot of the Espada would have eventually achieved this status. Since he hasn't betrayed the Soul Society yet, a lot of things have changed. Grimmjow encountering a hollow way more powerful than himself would likely drive him to become more powerful. At least, that's my reason for it…so whatever. It's a fan fiction…so yeah. What's going to happen next? You'll have to wait and see.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Influence**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nel awoke with an unfamiliar pain covering her body. She jerked upright as she tried to identify where she was. The woman immediately noticed Ichigo sitting on a rock several feet away. His golden eyes stared at her calmly.

The Arrancar seemed surprised by his passive demeanor. The woman stared silently until Ichigo finally spoke, "You're awake…good."

Nel took a moment to take in her surroundings as she tried to identify exactly where she was. She quickly realized that they were far from where she and Ichigo had encountered each other during their battle and in a cave of some sort. Apacci, Loly, and Menoly were all on opposite walls with looks of distrust focused her way.

Ichigo himself sat close towards the entrance and was slightly illuminated by the moonlight from outside. He examined her surprised reaction and decided to explain the situation, "I didn't want to leave you for dead out there…in case you're wondering why I brought you here."

"White…no Ichigo was your name right? What is the meaning of this?" she inquired.

The orange haired Vasto Lorde scoffed at her question, "You know I've given some serious thought to the things you've said both before and after you showed up. There is definitely some truth in what you told me…but I don't think that your path and my path are the same."

"Why is that?" she asked uncertainly.

Ichigo shook his head at her, "You see the world your way…and impose your beliefs on others. You act just like a Shinigami. Whether you were right or wrong…I would never accept pious condescension from anyone. That aside, you were quite powerful. I usually don't like to kill strong hollows. It just makes us weak as a whole. However, don't mistake my mercy for compassion, Nel. I did regret having to injure you, but not the reason why."

"I must apologize then…I went about this the wrong way," Nel held her head down sadly, "it was never my intention to incite a fight between us. Perhaps I went too far with the things I said."

"There's no 'perhaps' about it…I get the feeling you did it on purpose," Loly said doubtfully.

Nel frowned, "I never meant for it to reach that extent. I wanted you to see the dangers of losing control. As a former Vasto Lorde, I felt it was worth trying to help you understand…even if it was indirectly. I struggled for a long time searching for answers. I hoped to spare you the same fate."

"That's why you're still alive. I believe you did succeed in helping me," Ichigo replied causing the Arrancar to jerk her head towards him shocked.

"I spared your life for two reasons, Nel…one because you healed me when I was an Adjucha, and two because you helped me realize something important," Ichigo said seriously.

"What's that?" Apacci interrupted hanging on his words.

"I now know what I want…I want a heart," Ichigo replied causing everyone to eye him surprised.

After a brief silence, Ichigo changed the subject, "Is there anything you wish to say? You're not as talkative as I remember, Nel…"

"That whole situation got way out of hand…I should have just given you more time," the aquamarine haired arrancar sighed.

"You insisted that I was an Arrancar…but I am not. That's all there is to it," he said intently.

She nodded, "You're right…hollows have to accept their humanity before they can become true Arrancars. The way your killer instinct took over is some evidence that you have not fully reached the threshold. Whether you choose to pursue your humanity or not is your choice. You are indeed powerful, Ichigo…but power won't give you a heart. The more power you have the lonelier you become."

"Well then I suppose we'll both just walk away from this with lessons learned," Ichigo said conclusively as he focused his eyes between Nel and the exit to the cave.

She was timid for a moment as she tried to find the words to speak. Finally she responded, "So what will you do now?"

"I will go my own way. Maybe you were right about me being an Arrancar…but if so it's something I must discover for myself. Like you said before…it will be my choice. Not to mention, I have more important things to worry about now," he explained.

Nel nodded slowly and stared at him for a moment, "I'm really sorry about the things I said, but I hope they help you in the long run…I would prefer we part on decent terms."

"It doesn't matter anymore…I'm willing to forget about it if you Arrancars stay away from us. So you should go now and do whatever it is that your kind do," Ichigo said as he pointed towards the cave entrance.

The Arrancar obeyed as she made her way towards the exit. Before she could sonido away, Ichigo spoke slowly, "For what it's worth…thanks. I appreciate your gesture, as imposing as it was."

Nel turned around and nodded, "If you ever change your mind, or want my help, then my offer still stands. Good luck, Ichigo…"

"Farewell, Neliel…" he said back.

After she left, Apacci walked up next to Ichigo with a curious expression. The deer sighed, "So what was that all about anyway, Ichigo? I mean that stuff you said…"

"Don't worry about it Apacci…this was all just one big misunderstanding," he tried to reassure the Adjucha.

The deer held her head down, "I've never seen you that angry before…you haven't really talked to us about it yet."

"I was mad at her for the way she acted…but I feel as if what I did was something beyond my control. There's no denying that my humanity hangs by a thread…I don't want to lose it and hurt you all like I almost did. I think she was trying to make me realize that I'm just as much of a danger to you three as any other hollow in Hueco Mundo," Ichigo said distantly.

"You would never hurt us though…I refuse to believe that," Apacci reassured him. Ichigo couldn't help but feel uplifted by her comment.

He tilted his head slightly, "I hope you're right…"

Menoly approached slowly and cut in, "So what did you think about her offer to become an Arrancar?"

Ichigo shrugged, "It was interesting…but like I said, if I am meant to be like her then it'll just happen. Until then, I want nothing to do with Arrancars. Besides…we have other things to worry about."

"What should we do now, Ichigo?" Loly asked as the trio gathered around the Vasto Lorde who was now standing. The orange haired creature thought for a moment, "Let's go and train. You three need to be powerful when we attack Las Noches."

"We're going after Las Noches?" Apacci jaw-dropped.

The Vasto Lorde grinned, "Of course we are…Barragan and I have unfinished business."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Later Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Apacci panted heavily as she collapsed to the ground, "This training is ridiculous. How the hell are we supposed to catch you?!"

"Don't ask how and just find a way," Ichigo said shaking his head.

Loly hissed at him, "What do you think we've been doing this whole time?! There's just no way any one of us can catch you! How is this supposed to help us anyway?"

"Calm yourself, Loly…" Ichigo said sternly causing the Adjucha to back down, "as I've said numerously, there will be times when you are faced against opponents far stronger or faster than yourselves. You won't be able to run, and will have no choice but to face this overwhelming enemy."

"Yeah yeah…you keep saying that and we keep coming. So what's the point? Is this supposed to make us faster somehow?!" Loly huffed doubtfully.

"It will…but that is not the point of this training at the moment," Ichigo sighed.

Menoly glanced towards Ichigo curiously, "We've been trying to work as a team…but I don't think I understand how we're supposed to progress like this. What should we do if we can't catch or overpower a single enemy?"

"Alright, listen you three…If you want to stop an overwhelming opponent then you need a strategy. Think for a moment…what is my weakness?" Ichigo said as he looked over his entourage.

Apacci looked between the other two Adjuchas and Ichigo before sighing, "You got me…do you even have a weakness?"

"Everyone has a weakness…in most cases more than one. Look at that rock structure over there," Ichigo pointed, "it's extremely large and undoubtedly strong. But what happens when you hit it in the right spot. For example…"

The orange haired hollow flicked the rock in a strategic low spot with a small amount of force. At first it didn't seem to have an effect as Ichigo turned around. Loly cocked her head, "Umm…what was the point of that?"

Suddenly the entire rock formation shattered as it splintered into dozens of smaller pieces and fell towards the sands. Ichigo examined his handiwork before explaining, "Destroying the rock was not the point of this…but I wanted you to understand that one area under pressure kept the entire thing stable. By shattering this area, the entire foundation simply collapses forcing it to break the rock apart and fall. The concept is the same when it comes to fighting an opponent. You three faced down a larger number of enemies on multiple occasions using tactics to weaken their formation and breakthrough with a surprise attack at a strategic spot. With their formation broken, the enemies usually fell apart quickly."

The three adjuchas stared eagerly as Ichigo took a breath making sure they were following. Afterward he continued, "The way you three trusted one another and focused your attacks was the key to your successes. You may not be as strong or as fast as me, but keep in mind that there are three of you and one of me. In a battle against multiple opponents, one is always at risk of being flanked no matter how good they are. The key to any victory is knowing your opponent and using tactics based on their composition. For example, If I were fighting to kill you three, I'd probably separate you first. Individually you're all powerful, but I can outmaneuver each of your strengths and exploit your weaknesses. You three should be aware of them if you want to progress."

"So what are our strengths and weaknesses then?" Loly queried somewhat nervously.

"Loly, you're the most aggressive. You have the greatest will to inflict harm on your opponent. Having that strong willpower means you are the most fearless. That coupled with your poison and you have a real potential to do some serious damage. However, the problem is that you are too impatient. Your movements appear unpredictable to a less experienced fighter, but I can tell by the way your body moves, where you'll be next. Not to mention, you have low awareness in regards to Apacci and Menoly. You're used to brute forcing weaker opponents and hoping those two will help. That will never work against someone stronger than you. You need to rely on them more and wait for an opportune moment to strike," Ichigo said to Loly causing to her eyes to widen as she reflected on the explanation.

During her silence, Ichigo turned towards Apacci, "Apacci, you can be dangerous if you catch an opponent off guard. You're the fastest of the three and definitely strong, but a foe like me would never take his eyes off you for long. The only way you could attack me is if you perfectly synchronized a combo with your allies. As for your weakness…it's your eyes. They betray every movement you're about to make. A smart enemy would be able to track your movements effortlessly. You need to work on that."

"What about me?" Menoly asked somewhat skittishly.

"Menoly, you have the strongest defense and easily the most physical strength. You do an excellent job at flanking foes, and are extremely dangerous at close range. Your presence is also the most easily noticeable. Most hollows would be wary of facing you head on. That gives you a huge advantage against opponents. Your issue however is the opposite of Loly's. You're not aggressive enough…if you focused more on front line fighting and left Loly to do support and defense, then you would have a better chance at keeping the enemy focused on you, allowing Apacci and Loly to break through and flank. If I were fighting to kill you three, I'd save you for last since you're the most cautious," Ichigo explained.

All three Adjuchas were deep in thought as a long quiet moment followed. Ichigo broke it as he brought his sword arms out, "This time I want to see results…let's go again."

Much to his approval, Menoly took his advice as she charged in first immediately putting pressure on him. Ichigo swiftly ducked and dodged her aggressive attacks and followed through with a slash. Menoly blocked it as she raised her claws just in time. This sent the scorpion sliding back through the sand against Ichigo's superior strength.

Despite this, she managed to hold steady as she stabbed her tail down at him repeatedly. Ichigo was forced to move as the stinger nearly grazed him. He reappeared behind Menoly with a sonido but was unable to follow up since Loly was waiting for him. The centipede launched a torrent of poison blanketing the area. Ichigo narrowly avoided the acidic cloud, but this reduced his visibility just long enough for Apacci to flank him.

He sensed her just in time to catch the deer's horn, but quickly let go when a clawed cero arced towards him. Ichigo laughed as he landed across from his followers, "Good…that's more like it. Keep it up. Once I'm convinced you have the fundamentals, we'll go hunting again."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The next day XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo and his companions had made considerable progress in training, and after a short rest, decided to go for one of their routine hunts.

Apacci pranced excitedly as the four of them patrolled around the desert outskirts, "I can't wait to find more of Barragan's goons! We'll tear them to shreds!"

"You might hit a few…but I'll definitely kill more than you. My poison has become much more acidic lately. Pretty soon I'll be able to kill them all by myself," Loly bragged.

"Yeah…if you were lucky enough to blindside them with it. Not everyone's just going to stand there and take it," Apacci scoffed.

"The same can be said for your horn charge…" Menoly cut in causing Apacci to narrow her gaze.

The deer huffed, "I'm much faster with that than I used to be…obviously it won't work against Ichigo, but any other hollow won't stand a chance."

"Somebody's a bit arrogant…" Loly laughed.

Apacci glared at her, "Speak for yourself. How's about the next hunt, we compete for kills. Whoever gets the most gets to be the leader."

Loly laughed, "I thought I was the leader…right Menoly?"

"Well…she-" Menoly said somewhat nervously.

"Don't let her decide for you…this needs to be unbiased," Apacci interrupted.

The scorpion simply laughed nervously, "Well, I think Ichigo is the leader…so yeah I'm staying out of your little competition,"

"You heard her…we'll let the numbers decide which one of us is in charge," Apacci pranced enthusiastically.

"Well so long as Menoly keeps doing what she does then there's no way you'll kill more than me," Loly shot back.

Suddenly, Ichigo stopped in his tracks, "Wait!"

His three followers stopped abruptly and faced him. Apacci was the first to speak, "What is it, Ichigo? Do you sense something?"

Before he could even respond, an explosion of sand shot out of the ground immediately followed by the largest Adjucha Ichigo had ever seen. It had many legs and a very muscular body. He had few adjectives to perfectly describe this creature. He quickly disappeared a considerable distance away to watch how his Adjuchas would handle the enemy without him. The colossal beast laughed at the foes in front of it.

"What do we have here? Tiny little prey just wandering around for me to eat?! Ha!" the Adjucha cackled.

Loly immediately took offense and hissed at him, "Don't get so full of yourself! The four of us could trash you!"

"Four?! I only see three of you puny weaklings!" the hollow shouted back.

Loly, Menoly, and Apacci immediately looked around worried all wondering the same thing, '_Where is Ichigo_?!'

Quickly regaining her composure, Loly glanced over towards Apacci, and Menoly giving them intense stares, "We don't need his help to take this guy down…he wants us to get stronger so let's do it."

"If you say so, Loly…but this guy is pretty big. I don't know how well I can keep him occupied," Menoly replied somewhat nervously.

"Grow a backbone will ya? Just do what Ichigo told you to and we'll handle the rest," Apacci reassured her.

"You three must not know who I am then…I'm Yammy, the terror of the sands!" the large Adjucha boasted.

Loly huffed at him, "Not like we care, you big dumbass! You picked the wrong Adjuchas to attack!"

"What's this…you're all female? This will be my easiest hunt today! Die!" the monstrous hollow bellowed as he smashed a fist down. Both Loly and Apacci disappeared opposite directions via sonido leaving Menoly up front. She narrowly dodged the large hollow's colossal fist, and jumped on his arm.

Menoly charged her claw and clasped onto the large hollow's forearm. With her other one, she focused a cero directly towards the other hollow's mask. The monstrous creature held his hand up to block the beam from hitting him, and followed up by trying to smash Menoly into the ground.

She swiftly jumped off of his arm and ducked under the other fist. Despite dodging it, she was unable to avoid the other arm. Menoly held both claws up and braced through the punch. She struggled with all her might to keep from getting crushed under the pressure.

Much to her relief however, Loly had wrapped around the hollow's throat with her serrated legs and squeezed as tightly as she could. The hollow immediately pulled his fist back attempting to reach for the centipede Adjucha.

Taking advantage of his distracted state, Apacci ran beneath him with her charged horn and left a massive slash all the way down his midsection. Deciding to take them more seriously now, Yammy jumped into the air and smashed back down nearly crushing Apacci beneath his legs.

He managed to peel Loly off his throat and started to squeeze her as he pursued the retreating Apacci. She got a considerable distance away and began to charge a cero between her antlers and over her horn. It swelled to remarkable size.

Yammy just stared at it amused, "You think that pathetic cero will hurt me? It'll hurt your little friends more than me!"

Apacci remained still with the attack ready as Yammy held the struggling Loly in front of him. Loly was unable to break free from Yammy's grip as she writhed angrily. The centipede bit his arm, much to his annoyance causing him to rear an arm back to punch her.

Thankfully, before the attack could hit, Menoly leapt in front just in time to grab his wrist with both of her claws. Menoly held it just long enough for Loly to spit poison at Yammy's face. At first, all it did was shroud his vision, but he soon was forced to release Loly as it began to burn his skin.

"Arrgh! You damned insects!" Yammy roared angrily. With his clubbed tail he swung around rabidly managing to throw off Menoly. The scorpion went flying back. Yammy wasted no time pursuing her, nearly trampling Loly in the process. The centipede was forced to burrow into the sand to avoid him.

As he exited the acidic poison cloud, Yammy began to regenerate. He charged the downed Menoly with bloodlust in his eyes. However, before he could reach her, the Scorpion held up both claws and unleashed a strange arc like cero from her them. They immediately wrapped around his front legs forcing him to stop momentarily.

He scoffed at her effort, "You think this pathetic attack will hold me back!?" The large Adjucha began to break free and continued to advance like an unstoppable juggernaut. Unfortunately for him, he was so consumed in his rage that he forgot about Apacci.

Yammy howled in agony as a powerful cero fired through him from behind. It visibly seared a large portion of his hide and halted his advance. Before he had a chance to recover, Loly wrapped around his neck again and squeezed tightly. She added to it by coating his injured body in more acidic poison.

The colossal Adjucha thrashed dangerously as he tried to fight off the three opponents. Trading self-harm for results, Yammy aimed both fists at Menoly despite the devastating follow up slash Apacci was inflicting.

Loly and Apacci both watched worriedly as both of Yammy's fists nearly crushed the scorpion. However, much to their amazement, Menoly's claws began to glow. The glowing extensions clamped shut over both of his fists right before they reached her.

This sent the scorpion sliding back a considerable distance. She struggled with all the strength she had to hold him back. Yammy seemed shocked by her strength, "What the hell?! How did you stop my attacks? A puny weakling like you can't be strong enough to stop both of my fists!"

He seemed angered by Menoly's fortitude as she managed to finally plant her legs and hold him steady. Menoly couldn't hold him for long as Yammy added more and more strength behind his push. Much to her relief however, Apacci began to assail Yammy's front legs.

He was unable to add more strength to his push as the deer repeatedly stabbed each one of his ankles with her charged horn. Blood poured from his wounds as Apacci ran down the length of his abdomen doing as much damage as she could to his legs.

Yammy tried to kick and trample the swift deer, but she successfully avoided his efforts. Unfortunately, Apacci was too focused in her avoidance that she failed to see Yammy's clubbed tail in her blind spot.

She was immediately sent flying towards the ground. However, during this time, Loly had managed to inflict countless wounds on Yammy's upper body. With Menoly holding both of his arms, he was unable to peel Loly off this time. The ravenous Adjucha inflicted as much damage and cruelty as possible.

Yammy howled in agony as Loly viciously ripped apart his flesh. Seeing as he was in trouble, Yammy charged a cero in his mouth and aimed it at Menoly. The scorpion stood there unsure of what to do as it grew larger.

Much to her relief however, Apacci had recovered just in time to charge her own. As Yammy released his cero, Apacci fired an intersecting one. This threw off its trajectory just enough to spare Menoly the direct damage of the attack.

The colossal Adjucha, Yammy, was beyond furious by the redirection of his attack and lifted both arms above his head bringing Menoly up with him. He flung her back towards the ground with tremendous force completely breaking free of her grip.

With his arms now free, he tried to reach for Loly again, but before he could grab her this time, Menoly leapt up and stabbed her stinger through his hand. At first it seemed to have no effect, other than drawing some blood.

However, he was soon surprised to find his hand as well as his entire lower arm had gone numb. His arm soon became immobilized as Menoly stung him again. With only one hand reaching for Loly, Menoly had no trouble grabbing it with both claws.

Yammy was shocked to say the least as he was now unable to move one of his arms whilst the other was being held back. His stung arm hung there motionlessly limp. Before he could even react to the situation, he felt a large spiked cero impale his stomach. Yammy looked down in disbelief as he saw a red horn sticking through him.

"Hold him off for just a few more seconds!" Apacci commanded her friends. Loly Squeezed Yammy's throat as tightly as possible forcing him to gasp for air. To say he was wounded, would be an understatement. Blood poured form all over Yammy's body, and many of his wounds appeared to be slow to regenerate due to being coated in Loly's poison.

Holding him still as commanded, Loly and Menoly looked up just in time to see Apacci leap recklessly into the air with her charged horn pointed directly at Yammy's mask. Before Yammy could even process what had happened, his mask was impaled by the horn sending him crashing into the ground.

After they were convinced he wasn't getting back up, Loly and Menoly released him. Both looked over towards Apacci approvingly.

The deer panted heavily as she walked over towards them, "Did we…do it?"

Menoly looked over the downed Adjucha for a moment and cocked her head, "I'll find out."

She rabidly began to sting his downed body all over. Adding to her overkill, Loly spit more poison over the body. They watched eagerly as they saw his wounds no longer regenerating. "We did it!" Loly shouted joyously.

"Serves that overgrown bastard right for messing with us!" Appaci chanted in agreement.

Menoly sighed in relief, "I'm just glad it's over…let's eat up."

As they each consumed a piece of Yammy's mask, his body dissipated into Reiatsu and dispersed evenly amongst them, greatly empowering the trio of Adjuchas.

Afterward, Loly cackled wickedly, "We're even stronger now!"

"So where do you think Ichigo went?" Menoly asked uncertainly causing her two allies to wonder as well.

However, before either one could comment, a strange figure appeared before them. They all immediately tensed worriedly at the newcomer. It was clearly a Vasto Lorde judging by the humanoid appearance and female. The creature's blonde hair and green eyes were quite distinguishable.

The Vasto Lorde looked over them curiously. She immediately looked at Apacci somewhat surprised, "I've seen you before…"

"T-that power…is she a Vasto Lorde?" Menoly gasped.

The blonde creature spoke with a tone of approval in her voice, "Are you three responsible for killing that large hollow just now?"

Deciding to take command of the situation, Loly spoke up confidently, "That's right…Yammy or whatever his name was couldn't beat the three of us."

"Then you have my approval…I've been looking for him for quite some time. He is a cruel brute who enjoys preying on the weak. He is especially cruel to females. The fact that three defeated him is justice if I have ever seen it," the Vasto Lorde replied.

"Who are you supposed to be anyway? You say you've seen me before?" Apacci asked uncertainly.

The blonde nodded, "That's right…you're the hollow that White saved from Barragan's minions."

"You saw that?!" Apacci tensed surprised.

"I did…and I was quite surprised to be honest," the Vasto Lorde said distantly.

Two additional Adjuchas quickly approached from the distance with excitement. One was a golden masked lion and the other was a lavender snake. They both stopped upon reaching the blonde Vasto Lorde and stared over the other three Adjuchas suspiciously.

The lion was the first to speak, "Lady Harribel, what happened? Did you kill that brute already? We didn't even get to see the battle?"

"Obviously she did…maybe if you were a bit faster you could have seen the battle," the snake sassed.

The lion growled in response, "It's not like you were ahead of me, Sung-sun!"

"Don't put this on me…Mila Rose. You're always so quick to anger," the snake giggled.

"Oh shut it, you bitch…" the lion shot back.

Harribel sighed, "Quiet you two…I didn't kill Yammy. They did."

"What?!" Mila Rose jaw dropped.

Sung-sun's eyes visibly widened, "Did I hear you right, Lady Harribel…you said these three did?"

"Yeah that's right," Apacci bragged, "we're unstoppable as a team."

"That's preposterous…Yammy's killed hundreds of Adjuchas. Only a Vasto Lorde could kill him," Mila Rose said disbelievingly.

"Or three powerful Adjuchas…" Menoly added with a tone of amusement.

Harribel stared over the three of them, "I am curious how you three managed such a thing. Yammy is no pushover…I let him live once out of pity, but all it did was allow him to inflict more harm on others. Hueco Mundo is better off without someone like that."

Before they could reply, an orange blur appeared before them. Standing in front of his followers, Ichigo spoke cautiously, "Who might you be? I don't see other Vasto Lordes very often."

Mila Rose and Sung-sun immediately paled upon seeing Ichigo. The snake gasped, "L-lady Harribel…t-that mask, those horns! H-he's White!"

Mila Rose shook her head, "Isn't White a dragon?"

"Look at the hair, Mila Rose…it's orange! How many hollows have orange hair? That's got to be him!" Sung-sun replied worriedly.

Harribel held her hand up to calm them, "I know who he is, you two…calm down."

Both gulped worriedly as Harribel and Ichigo stared each other down. The blonde spoke first, "I've heard a lot about you, White. They say you've killed thousands of other hollows. I had a fairly low opinion of you until I saw what you did for her."

Harribel pointed towards Apacci, "I must say…it's very unusual to see a hollow of your infamy and power to go out of his way to help others. You are not what I expected you to be."

"Why would that change your opinion of me?" he countered with an evident curiosity in his voice.

The blonde shrugged, "It's just strange to see a hollow known for mercilessly killing others to protect those weaker than himself. Why are you helping them?"

"Do I even need a reason to protect my pack? From what I can tell, you've got a pack of your own." He countered again.

The other Vasto Lorde looked back at them for a moment, "Sung-sun and Mila Rose are females like me. Because of this, other Adjuchas always make them a target. I saved them both and we all look out for each other. As females we have to."

"I protect my Adjuchas…but I also train them. I want them to become strong so they can protect me as well," Ichigo replied.

Harribel seemed intrigued by his explanation, "You appear to be successful in that regard…though I am surprised to see that your only followers are female. Is there a reason for that?"

"Not particularly…but I saw potential in these three," he explained.

Harribel nodded understandingly, "I see…well if that is the case, then we are not very different. Helping the weak is not something I ever would have imagined to have in common with you."

"I guess I'm just full of surprises then. By the way, what's your name?" Ichigo asked as he examined the other Vasto Lorde head to toe.

The blonde replied calmly, "My name is Tia Harribel…I never thought I'd say this, but it is nice to meet you."

"Hmm…and who are these two behind you?" Ichigo asked.

Mila Rose and Sung-sun both gulped somewhat fearfully as Ichigo approached them. The lion spoke first, "I'm M-mila Rose."

"Sung-sun," the snake barely managed to mutter as Ichigo's intimidating presence caused them to remain frozen in fear. His mere presence was a bit overwhelming. Realizing this, Ichigo tried to repress some of his power to ease their worry.

Harribel gave Ichigo a strange look. He turned towards her somewhat confused, "What is it?"

"Since we share the same desire to protect our followers, perhaps we could join forces," the blonde suggested.

"L-lady Harribel are you crazy?! White would never agree to something like that!" Mila Rose interrupted.

"I was actually about to suggest that myself," Ichigo cut her off. All five Adjuchas present jaw-dropped dumbfounded.

"Are you for real?!" Loly shook her head with disbelief, "we just me them. What makes you think we can trust these other hollows?!"

Ichigo shook his head, "We obviously do the same thing…so it would only make sense to merge our packs into one."

"A-are you sure about this, Lady Harribel? I mean…White's as ruthless as they come. Would answering to him be any different than Barragan?" Mila Rose cut in.

Harribel stared at Ichigo seriously, "There is one complication though…I don't believe in eating other hollows. It makes us no different than hollows like Barragan."

"Maybe you don't…but if you want them to become stronger then I would recommend you reconsider that," Ichigo stated as he examined Sung-Sun and Mila Rose.

The blonde pointed her sword at him, much to the disbelief of Ichigo's companions, "Is that what you have done to your followers? Turned them into hunters like yourself?"

"Before you go assuming the worst…we don't go after the weak. We mostly kill Barragan's hunting parties. They're in high supply these days. I actually let these three do the killing. I only intervene if necessary," Ichigo explained.

Harribel's eyes lit up with surprise, "So you four are the ones responsible for thinning out his army? He's been extremely agitated as of late. Barragan tried to coerce me into joining him recently. I refused…I despise his reign and everything it stands for."

"Then we agree on that as well…if that's the case, then we have no reason to not join forces. I have another suggestion if you don't mind," Ichigo responded.

Harribel followed his words anxiously, "What is it?"

"I can also help you train those two if you want," Ichigo eyed Mila Rose and Sung-sun, "they seem feisty enough."

"You intend to train them?" Harribel asked surprised.

"If that's okay with you…" Ichigo said slowly.

The blonde seemed to contemplate the situation for a moment before nodding, "So long as you protect Sung-sun and Mila Rose the way you protect those three, then we have a deal. I am curious how you intend to do it though…"

"You two come here," Ichigo commanded. Both Sung-sun and Mila Rose traded looks of concern before approaching. The Vasto Lorde looked back and forth at the two Adjuchas, "You have nothing to fear from me…just listen to what I say and you'll learn a lot."

Mila Rose seemed uncertain, "Lady Harribel…are you sure about this? I mean are you really okay with us following him around?"

"You're right to be wary, but I sense no malicious intent…not to mention, an enemy of Barragan is an ally of ours. We can't afford to turn away help in Hueco Mundo," Harribel said soothingly.

"Forgive this brute for her lack of appreciation," Sung-sun gestured towards the lion, "I for one look forward to the pleasure of your company."

Loly glanced over at Menoly, "Get a load of this kiss ass…"

"Hey hold on a second! I thought you were training us!" Apacci protested.

Mila Rose appeared to regain her confidence as she shook her head at the deer, "Looks like somebody's jealous…"

"Jealous?! Ha, don't make me laugh!" Apacci scoffed.

Sung-sun giggled at her outburst, "It seems she's not very appreciative of White. What an inconsiderate hollow she is."

"OH I can already tell I'm going to hate you two!" Apacci fumed.

The snake laughed at her angered state, "You're a hot-headed one aren't you? Are you and the bug girls all like this?"

"Bug girls?! You better take that back!" Loly interrupted as she made her way towards the snake. Before the situation could escalate, Ichigo held up his hand, "Enough…we should get moving before trouble finds us. You three can come back to our cave this way. Once we're there I'll start training Mila Rose and Sung-sun right away if you want."

Harribel nodded, "Alright…let's go."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo Loly and Menoly's Cave XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So let me get this straight…you want us to what?!" Mila Rose shouted.

Ichigo sighed, "Try to attack me…I want to see what you're capable of. Plus that's the best way to determine what you need to work on."

"Lord White, we can't just…fight you. That's suicide," Sung-sun said

"Oh so it's 'Lord White' now?" Mila Rose laughed.

Sung-sun looked away embarrassed, "Ahem…well excuse me for showing respect. He is training us after all. Maybe you should be more grateful."

"Maybe you should just stop talking and listen…" the lion shot back.

The snake laughed, "Speak for yourself…I'm not the one starting arguments here,"

"I hate you so much, Sung-sun," the lion growled.

Sitting to the side, near the cave entrance was Harribel and Ichigo's Adjuchas. They all glanced between the scene in front of them and the blonde Vasto Lorde numerously.

After an awkward silence, Apacci spoke, "So how long have you been a Vasto Lorde, Lady Harribel?"

"What's up with the title there?" Loly cut in giving Apacci a disapproving look.

The deer glared at her, "She's our superior now…so it seems fitting. I mean those two are already calling Ichigo 'Lord.'"

"That name…Ichigo. Why do you refer to White by that name?" the blonde interrupted their argument.

Menoly being the civil one, answered for her, "Ichigo is White's real name…but he doesn't like other people to know. He just lets us call him that."

"His real name? Hmm…that would make sense I suppose. White sounds more like a nickname anyway. What were your names by the way? We were never properly introduced," Harribel asked calmly with a look of interest.

Apacci was the first to answer, "My name is Emilou Apacci…but everyone just calls me Apacci."

Menoly followed suit, "Menoly…that's really all I go by."

The third Adjucha sighed, "Well if you must know, my name is Loly…I'm her sister."

Harribel stared at their masks curiously, "Your masks are identical to each other…are you twins? Or did you used to be the same person?"

"Uhm…well we've just always been together since we were Adjuchas. I don't really know," Menoly said distantly.

Loly seemed annoyed by the observation, "Don't cross-examine us."

The blonde sighed, "If you insist, then I won't…"

"You're so calm and relaxed…how do you put up with those two?" Apacci gestured towards the lion and snake who were embarrassing themselves trying to catch Ichigo.

Her green eyes focused on the deer, "I enjoy having them around…I was alone for a long time before I found them."

"I know what that's like…it seems like another lifetime ago before we met, Ichigo. He's always so determined and focused. It's nice knowing that someone is looking out for you," Apacci nodded with a distant look on the horizon.

"I'm sure it's nice for him as well…he and I are more alike than I thought," the blonde noted.

"Sung-sun, stop being useless and do something!" Mila Rose groaned as she repeatedly pounced towards Ichigo just barely missing him each time.

The snake coiled around him and tried to bite, but was shocked when Ichigo simply grabbed one of her fangs. She remained frozen in disbelief as he easily let go and reappeared by her tail. Ichigo grabbed her tail causing the snake to yelp, "Aeeyeh! Mila Rose help!"

The lion leapt for Ichigo again with claws poised to strike but hit nothing except air. Before she knew what had happened, Ichigo appeared on her back and rode her around with Sung-sun's tail still in hand.

"Lady Harribel! Help!" Sung-sun cried for help as she was drug through the sand. Mila Rose tried to buck Ichigo off, but was unsuccessful. Thinking fast, she rolled on her back to flake him off, but soon found he was standing across from both of them still on the ground.

Harribel remained sitting, but kept her eyes focused on Ichigo wondering what he was doing.

Ichigo simply chuckled, "You two need a lot of work…that was ridiculous."

"Why you! I thought you were going to train us, not humiliate us! What were you doing riding on my back?!" Mila Rose protested.

Sung-sun regained her composure and sighed, "That was…uncalled for."

The Vasto Lorde shook his head, "I've learned enough about you two from that little skirmish. Now we can really start training."

"Skirmish?! Is that what you call riding me around like mount?!" the lion said disbelievingly.

Sung-sun simply giggled, "Knowing her, she probably enjoyed it…"

"What was that snake girl?!" the lion shouted.

"Enough you two…I'm sure White doesn't feel like watching you argue all day," Harribel announced from her seated location.

The orange haired hollow paced as he examined the two Adjuchas, "Surprisingly, you two are pretty fast…more so than I expected. Though, even if you had hit me, I wouldn't have been affected. What kinds of offensive capabilities can you do other than cero?"

"Well…" the lion began, "there is one thing I can do, but it's not very useful yet."

"Just do it…I won't dodge. I want to see what it is," Ichigo said.

Mila Rose sighed, "Alright, but don't laugh…" She inhaled deeply as she faced Ichigo down.

Apacci watched the sight with amusement, "This ought to be good,"

Loly simply shook her head, "What'd you think it's going to be? Some kind of pounce attack?"

"That'd be real original," Menoly laughed sarcastically.

Harribel watched curiously, '_Mila Rose has an ability I don't know about?_'

Sung-sun watched her companion curiously, "Well don't keep us in suspense…are you going to do it or not?"

Much to everyone's surprise the lion exhaled a stream of fire from her mouth. The flamethrower engulfed Ichigo right away, but appeared to have no effect as he calmly walked through it.

"Is she spitting fire?!" Loly said disbelievingly.

"What are you eyes broken?! Of course she is!" Apacci shook her head at the other Adjucha.

Harribel's eyes widened at the sight, '_Since when has she been able to do that?_'

After her flame breath subsided, Mila Rose panted heavily watching the unscathed Ichigo for any sort of response. The Vasto Lorde laughed much to her embarrassment.

The lion held her head down in shame, "Figures even that isn't all that useful…"

"So much for the big reveal. I can see why you kept this a sec-," Sung-sun chided, but was interrupted mid sentence.

"Actually, that was really, really impressive," Ichigo cut her off, "with a little bit of refinement, you can make that extremely useful in combat."

The snake looked away nervously, now feeling the pressure of having to show something as equally impressive.

"So she shit a bit of fire…how's that supposed to help at all?" Loly scoffed.

Ichigo glanced over at her, "Do you know what happens when poison and fire mixes?"

The Centipede shrugged, "Umm…no? What are you getting at?"

"Come here Loly…launch a blanket of poison that direction. Mila Rose, after she lays it out, use your flame breath on it," Ichigo instructed eagerly.

Loly did as commanded and fired a torrent of poison over the sands. It seemed to sizzle as it corroded the sands. Mila Rose inhaled deeply and spit another barrage of fire in the same area. Everyone minus Ichigo and Harribel immediately took cover as the fire ignited Loly's poison causing a tremendous explosion.

Burning poison began to rain all around them in the aftermath. The Adjuchas all ran into the cave to avoid it. They peeked out anxiously as Ichigo walked towards the entrance looking at the stoic Harribel.

The blonde gave him a strange look, '_I can see how this will bring them all together to work as a team…but why does he want everyone to be so powerful? What's he training them for? What would he possibly need protection from?_'

Ichigo took notice of her expression and spoke seriously, "You've done well to protect them, Harribel…but I think you've been holding them back."

She stared at him surprised by his comment, "You think so? Why is that?"

"They're strong, but they suck at fighting…I can understand your need to keep them safe, but they'll never become strong unless you let them fight their own battles as well," he said distantly, "I know you're not fond of the idea, but it'll be more beneficial in the end."

Her green eyes stared into his golden black ones, "That's rather bold of you to say…but I suppose there is truth in it. Though if you don't mind me asking, why are you training so many hollows? Survival is one thing, but you seem to have other priorities."

"Shinigami…they've already tried to kill me twice. It's only a matter of time before they strike again," Ichigo answered darkly.

Harribel seemed shocked by his statement, "Shinigami? And here I thought you were training them to overthrow Barragan."

"I will eventually overthrow Barragan…but not out of my own vanity. I need to unite Hueco Mundo against the Shinigami," Ichigo explained.

The blonde cocked her head curiously, "Why? They never come to our world."

"I recently ventured to the world of the living some time ago. During my visit, four Shinigami captains tried to kill me. They hunt us like animals and condemn us to death just for being what we are. It disgusts me…" Ichigo said bitterly.

Harribel seemed deep in thought, "Have you told your followers yet?"

He shook his head, "They're better off not knowing…for their sake and mine, we need to be ready for anything. Eventually, the Shinigami will come after me again. I hope I can count on you whenever that time comes."

"You have an interesting cause…it's not my place to say whether it's right or wrong, but promise me you will not treat any of them as expendable," Harribel pointed back inside the cave where the five Adjuchas were arguing.

Ichigo looked over there before focusing his gaze back on Harribel, "I would sooner die before anyone took their lives."

"That's commendable…if you truly mean that, then I will gladly fight by your side," Harribel nodded approvingly.

Ichigo gave a curt nod as he made his way towards the cave entrance. Looking inside, he gestured for Sung-sun to come out, "Come here, Sung-sun…it's your turn now. The rest of you can come watch…the fire stopped raining."

"Ahem…well I'm still a bit shaken from that explosion," she tried to dissuade him.

Harribel glanced over at her, "Do as he says, Sung-sun…obey White as if he were me."

"Yes, Lady Harribel," the snake said subserviently. As she followed Ichigo back outside the cave, the others gathered around the blonde Vasto Lorde again.

The green eyed hollow glanced over at Mila Rose, '_I've been holding them back by being too protective…it only would have been a matter of time before something caught me off guard and then they would be defenseless. I think White is right about this…but I hope he knows what he's doing. Starting a war with the Soul Society is dangerous_.'

"Alright Sung-sun…show me something special," Ichigo instructed.

The snake looked away shyly, "Well that would be my charms of course…"

"Something useful for fighting," he specified unnecessarily.

Ichigo watched her curiously, '_She definitely doesn't want to show us…unless she doesn't have a special move?_'

Sung-sun remained still as she took a deep breath.

"Any day now!" Mila Rose taunted her.

The snake looked down and sighed, "Okay okay…here goes."

They all watched curiously as she did not move. Suddenly Ichigo jerked his sword arm to his side and looked over. Before anyone could figure out what had happened, Sung-sun's body fell over and dissipated.

Where Ichigo's sword was pointed, she suddenly reappeared with a shocked look on her face. Ichigo looked back where she had been previously and chuckled, "So you molted and turned invisible? That's a good way to substitute yourself in battle and catch an enemy off guard."

"Gross…" Mila Rose shook her head at the sight.

Sung-sun jerked her head towards the group, "It's not THAT gross…I am a snake after all."

"No wonder she didn't want to show us…that's not something I'd expect out of miss prissy here," Mila Rose noted.

Ichigo pat the adjucha's side much to her surprise, "Good work, Sung-sun…now since you two have these additional abilities, I'm going to help you refine them into more effective combat tactics."

"So you're not grossed out by it?" Sung-sun asked.

"Why would I be?" Ichigo replied amused.

The snake beamed proudly, "Well, Lord, White, I thank you for your objective appreciation of my natural abilities. Some brutes wouldn't understand…" The snake glanced back at Mila Rose and Ichigo's followers.

"Mila Rose, come back over here…now that I've seen your special abilities, I think it's time we work on them."

"Why do I get the feeling this is going to suck?" Mila Rose groaned.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX One week later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The following week had been spent on mostly training and teamwork. With the five adjuchas working in better synchronization, Ichigo felt confident that they were ready for a good hunt.

Harribel had been mostly silent in the days that followed her joining forces with Ichigo. The two spoke on occasion regarding the well being of the group, and had grown more trusting of each other. Harribel didn't feel the same uneasiness she had originally, but her mind was still preoccupied with Ichigo's future plans.

She stared at the sands deep in thought, '_Unite Hueco Mundo…is such a thing even possible? Barragan has been trying for ages, but none of the other Vasto Lordes have ever accepted his rule. White has my help…but how does he intend to unite so many powerful hollows? Not all of them will simply stand down. No doubt many will simply see him as another Barragan…but what if he's successful? Could we really stand against the Soul Society?_'

Ichigo sat on top of a rock next to her as he watched the five Adjuchas train together. His thoughts drifted off as he contemplated how he was going to unite Hueco Mundo. The blonde stared at him seriously, "Something's been bothering me lately, White…how are you going to unite the other Vasto Lordes? The few that exist are all scattered across the world far from Barragan's gaze. Have you ever met any others besides me?"

"I've met several. They were all so similar, yet different. One of them was Barragan, another was a hollow called Nel, and the last one was…well I don't know his name," Ichigo responded as he recalled the mouthless, green-eyed hollow.

Harribel cocked her head interested, "Why not? Did he not tell you? What were these encounters like?"

Ichigo shook his head, "They were all different. Barragan tried to kill me when I was an Adjucha. Nel actually healed me…but she's different now. As for the one whose name I don't know…he was the most unusual of all. He showed up when he sensed my transformation into a Vasto Lorde. I met him far out in the desert…near the edge of the world. He was unlike any other hollow I've ever seen…"

"How so?" the blonde perked up with an evident interest.

The orange haired hollow shrugged, "It's hard to explain…but he had no mouth. He never spoke to me…but we had an understanding with one another. We spent some time traveling together. He showed me where he was born, and I showed him where I was born…that was the last time I saw him."

"Where were you born? Why were you two separated?" Harribel questioned.

"I was born in the world of the living as a human…supposedly I died a few years ago. When I took the other hollow there, we were attacked by four Shinigami captains…I covered his escape and eventually left myself."

"For you to have evolved in such a short time, is nothing short of impossible. Not that I'm calling you a liar…but that would mean you possess an immensely powerful soul. I've never heard of such a thing…" the blonde said seriously.

"Who could say…" the hollow grunted.

Harribel shrugged, "So what about the mouthless hollow? Do you intend to find him?"

Ichigo sighed, "I've actually been looking for that mouthless hollow ever since I returned…but I got a bit side-tracked when I started training them. I figure he'll show up eventually."

The blonde nodded, "I see…why do you think he hasn't found you yet?"

"Probably because he can't sense me…I've been keeping my power concealed so they can progress. Though now that I think about it, he might have sensed my battle with the Arrancars a while back," Ichigo thought.

"Arrancars? What are they?" Harribel asked confused.

The horned Vasto Lorde snorted, "Hollows with Shinigami powers and attitudes…that Vasto Lorde Nel, I encountered actually became one."

"How does one do that though?" Harribel cocked her head.

Ichigo shrugged, "Something about accepting humanity and removing your mask…I don't know. I mean it was interesting, but not something I can afford to experiment with."

"That makes sense…" Harribel nodded as she turned her head forward again.

The orange haired hollow stood up, "Let's take them hunting…I can sense a large pack of hollows that way."

"Alright…" Harribel nodded as she stood up as well.

"C'mon ladies…it's time to go hunting!" Ichigo announced catching their attention.

They all had the reactions he expected. Loly, and Apacci seemed excited. Menoly appeared focused. Mila Rose and Sung-sun however were somewhat nervous, but kept it to themselves as the seven hollows made their way towards the hollows in the distance.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Several Hours Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"That was a good hunt!" Loly laughed joyously. Menoly and Apacci nodded in approval. Mila Rose and Sung-sun were both a bit worn out, but had somewhat relieved faces.

The snake was the first to respond, "That was a bit brutish for my tastes…but not as bad as I imagined."

"I could actually get used to this…it's been forever since we last ate," the lioness said complacently.

Leading the pack, Ichigo and Harribel traded looks with one another. The blonde raised a brow, "You don't think this is a bit much?"

"Not at all…see how easily they took down twenty hollows? I told you we wouldn't have to intervene," Ichigo replied.

She shook her head, "I understand there's safety in numbers, but traveling in a group this big makes us a big target."

"That's the point. That's also why we go with them," Ichigo sighed.

Harribel stared at him blankly, "Interesting…"

"Well I'm pretty tired…so I-" Apacci stopped mid sentence as she jerked her head towards an incredible source of Reiatsu. Loly and Menoly both followed suit, as did Ichigo, Sung-sun, Harribel, and Mila Rose. The horned Vasto Lorde stared into the distance interested, "What is that?"

"I don't think it's a good idea for all of us to go…you should go see what it is. I'll stay with them," Harribel replied.

Ichigo nodded at her, "Good idea. Listen girls, stay with Harribel. I'm going to see what that power source is."

"You'll be alright on your own?" the blonde checked.

He nodded, "Yes…head back to our cave. I'll meet you there later."

"Very well," she nodded before motioning the Adjuchas to follow her.

"Wait, you're going without us?!" Loly said shocked. The look in her eyes was one of worry.

Menoly seemed to share her concern, "A-are you sure? Why can't we go with you?"

"That power source is incredible…Vasto Lorde level. If it is, then he's better off dealing with it alone," Harribel explained.

Apacci shook her head, "I'm going with you!"

"Apacci…stay with Harribel for now…please. I'll be back," Ichigo said calmly.

The deer sent a glare his way, "You better be! We haven't been separated since…" She couldn't find the words to finish her statement and stood there worriedly as Ichigo vanished with a sonido.

Harribel gave the Adjuchas a calm look, "He'll be fine…let's go."

'_I wonder what that power is_?' she pondered.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX In the distance XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo landed in front of the power source and was surprised to see it was a single hollow. Countless surrounding hollows were dead on the ground nearby. Judging by it's humanoid figure, there was no denying it was a Vasto Lorde, and clearly one of great power.

Ichigo stared at the hollow taking in its appearance fully. Its hair was long and brown, and he had a broken mask fragment hanging by his neck. Ichigo's eyes widened upon noticing this feature, '_Wait, he's not a Vasto Lorde. He's an Arrancar?_'

The Arrancar looked at him cautiously. He said nothing as he examined Ichigo with a curious expression. It didn't take long for Ichigo to notice a smaller Arrancar behind him. The smaller one was female and had blonde hair with purple eyes. Both appeared to be curious about Ichigo's immunity to their power.

"How are you still alive?" the smaller hollow spoke as she stared at Ichigo surprised, "nothing that comes near us survives for long."

'_Are they threatening me?_' he wondered.

"Be careful Lilynette…this one seems different." the brown haired one said lazily.

The blonde girl rolled her one visible eye at him, "Are you seeing this Starrk? This hollow isn't even affected by us."

"Arrancars…what are you doing out here?" Ichigo asked darkly.

Lilynette stared at him confused, "What'd you just call us?! What the hell is an Arrancar? Starrk get over here."

The larger male Arrancar approached Ichigo and gave him an uncertain look, "I've never seen you before…you must be powerful if you're not affected by our spiritual pressure."

"Hey, what's your name?" Lilynette piped up enthusiastically. Ichigo was rather surprised by her eagerness to talk to him.

Starrk on the other hand was less obvious about his interest, but he walked up behind the small blonde.

"My name is White…I'm pretty infamous around these parts. Maybe you've heard of me?" Ichigo replied.

The male Arrancar's blue eyes watched him with uncertainty, "I've never heard of you…but we don't really talk to anyone else."

Ichigo glanced over at the large pile of dead hollows before looking back, "I can imagine why…did you kill all of these hollows?"

"No, they just died…" Starrk shrugged. Although he appeared to not care Ichigo could see a somewhat troubled look in his sad blue eyes.

Lilynette nodded, "Yeah, we didn't kill them on purpose."

"Can you two not control your spiritual power?" Ichigo asked perplexed by the scenario.

As he looked between them something bothered him about the two Arrancars, "You both share identical spiritual power."

"We used to be the same being…" the male Arrancar said lazily.

Ichigo cocked his head confused, "Really? That's unusual. I take you were once a Vasto Lorde then?"

"A what?" Lilynette interjected.

"A Vasto Lorde…a fully evolved hollow. I think we were once one of those, but Lilynette and I aren't the same as the being we used to be," Starrk explained.

"How did you become Arrancars if you were once a single Vasto Lorde?" Ichigo asked curiously. Part of him couldn't help but ponder some of the things Nel had told him while awaiting their answer. '_She said when a Vasto Lorde has nothing to live for it goes feral…I wonder if this was the result of that? Could it have split its soul in an attempt to regain its humanity?_'

"All I remember is being alone…I can't really answer your question because neither one of us really know. Like I said, we're not the Vasto Lorde," Starrk replied with a sigh.

"What was that power spike just then? I sensed you from very far away?" Ichigo asked trying to piece the mystery together.

Lilynette shrugged, "I don't know…Starrk just fired a cero for no reason into the sky."

"Why? Were you hoping somebody would come?" The orange haired hollow began to theorize.

Starrk simply shrugged, "I don't know…it's just really boring out here. There's nothing to this desert. I honestly didn't expect it to attract so many hollows."

"So that's what happened here?" Ichigo said examining the dead, "you're looking for other powerful hollows? If that's the case, I'm surprised you haven't joined the other Arrancars then…" Ichigo said deep in thought.

"Others? You're saying there are hollows as powerful as we are that all live together?" he asked interested.

Ichigo shrugged, "Well yes and no…I've only encountered a few Arrancars in my travels, and you two appear a lot stronger than most of them. Though I'm sure they wouldn't mind one of their own joining them."

"You seem to know a lot…you said you were infamous? What for?" Lilynette questioned anxiously.

Ichigo looked into the distance and pointed towards the direction of Las Noches, "In the center of this desert…resides a palace. I've never been there, but supposedly the King of Hueco Mundo built it. I battled him once as an Adjucha…and he's hunted me ever since. His minions fear me because I don't fear him."

"I wasn't aware such conflicts existed here…" Starrk yawned, "but why did you battle in the first place?"

"He demanded that I submit to him…and I refused. I don't like it when others try to control me," Ichigo replied.

The brown haired Arrancar seemed distant in thought, "I've never been that close to a palace. It sounds interesting though. I'm surprised you would turn down an offer like that."

Ichigo gave him a confused look, "Are you saying you wouldn't?"

Starrk shrugged, "Being all powerful and uncontrolled isn't what it's cracked up to be…I'd trade my power for companionship any day."

Upon hearing his comment, Ichigo's eyes widened in an epiphany, '_I get it now…so that's why he split in two. He was lonely? Maybe he never learned how to restrain his power? Could it be that these two have only ever known each other's company?_'

As he reflected on this information, Ichigo thought about all the different Vasto Lordes he had encountered. They all shared one fundamental similarity…they didn't want to be alone and they wanted others to acknowledge them. Barragan surrounded himself with armies and built a palace, Nel joined the Arrancars and helped others to do so, Harribel and himself gathered and protected Adjucha companions, and now these two…who literally became two beings to cope with the loneliness.

Ichigo took a step back and stared at the two of them. He couldn't find the words to say as he processed all of this information. Starrk crossed his arms, '_He must be insanely powerful…I wonder if he's experienced the same loneliness as we have_.'

Lilynette broke the silence as she spoke up excitedly, "So you must be really strong if you want to fight the king."

"Yes…I've been training my followers and gathering allies for the day I do," Ichigo responded.

Starrk tilted his head, "You have followers and allies? They don't die in your presence?"

The Vasto Lorde shook his head, "No they don't…I use my power sparingly around them."

"How? The way weaker hollows die when they come near us isn't something we can really control…" Starrk noted.

"That's probably because you've never needed to learn how. Were you born a Vasto Lorde? Have you ever fought anyone before?" Ichigo asked.

Lilynette glanced back at Starrk who seemed distant in thought, "I don't remember anything…"

"I don't know if it'll help, but the best way to control your powers I think is to use them and fight someone," Ichigo said as he charged a cero between his horns. Lilynette's one visible eye widened, "What are you doing?"

"Catch this," Ichigo said as he fired his cero at the Arrancars. Starrk was somewhat surprised by the colossal red beam that fired at him. Instinctively, he charged a blue one over his mask fragment to counter it.

The red and blue beams were deadlocked for nearly a minute before Ichigo added more force to his. The desert rumbled from the force, and a sandstorm kicked up from the pressure. Winds exploded in all directions carrying seared sand which quickly turned into glass. Both ceros intensified the longer the deadlock lasted.

Starrk could barely believe the unusual sensation he felt from the standstill. Ichigo's power continued to soar much to his surprise as it slowly began to push Starrk's cero back. His eyes widened, '_What the? Is he stronger than I am? I can't push his cero back._'

He continued to be pushed back and wondered what to do. Lilynette, who was standing right next to him quickly voiced her opinion, "What are you doing Starrk?! Push him back! Stop being lazy and put some effort into it! You're not even trying!"

'_I am trying though…there's just no stopping this attack_,' he thought grimly. The Arrancar quickly realized he had no choice but to fight back. He held up both hands and fired two additional ceros. Added to his original one, he managed to stop Ichigo's colossal red cero from pushing him any further. At first they even managed to push Ichigo back a bit.

Ichigo was surprised by the sheer power behind it, '_This guy isn't even trying that hard…he might have been more powerful than Barragan before splitting in two_. _If the girl is his other half…then he must be very powerful._'

Both of his swords shot out and channeled blackened spiritual energy over them. Ichigo swung them in a cross slash torrent empowering his own cero. This completely overwhelmed Starrk's much to the Arrancar's disbelief. His eyes widened as he grabbed Lilynette and narrowly avoided the powerful attack now freely firing into the distance.

After it subsided, Starrk exhaled the breath he was holding and shook his head, "That was…unexpected."

"What the hell was that?! He overpowered you?!" Lilynette said shocked.

They both looked over at Ichigo who turned towards them again, "Fire another one…"

"I'd rather not…" Starrk said as he dusted himself off.

Lilynette seemed to be in a state of disbelief, "He's super powerful Starrk…"

"Obviously…" the man replied as he pat her on the head. She brushed his hand back annoyed, "Aren't you going to say something?!"

"I think we should leave…" Starrk said as he looked into the distance.

"What why?!" his other half pestered, but her question was quickly answered when a green cero fired out of nowhere. It nearly rivaled the size of the one Ichigo fired. Starrk held up his arms and fired a counter attack.

He managed to throw off its trajectory after a short struggle, causing another surge of spiritual power to erupt. Starrk's eyes widened as a white figure landed next to Ichigo. It had wings, horns, and oddly enough no mouth. Though the green eyes were haunting.

Ichigo recognized the green spiritual energy and turned towards Ulquiorra surprised, "It's you? So you finally found me?"

The green eyed hollow had a strange look of relief upon seeing Ichigo, '_It feels like an eternity since we last met…it's good to be in his company once again. I'm glad he made it back in one piece._' Ulquiorra gave the orange haired Vasto Lorde a curt nod before turning towards Starrk with a stoic glare.

"Who's that?" Lilynette gasped.

'_These two appear to be Shinigami…but they have fragmented masks. They're clearly powerful, but are they hollows? Why are they attacking White?_' Ulquiorra wondered as he looked between the two powerful Arrancars.

"He's a friend of mine…we met after I became a Vasto Lorde," Ichigo answered Lilynette.

Lilynette traded a strange look with Starrk, "He doesn't have a mouth…what is he?"

Ulquiorra charged another cero on his finger and pointed it at the Arrancars. Ichigo quickly reached up and grasped the cero closing it shut in his grip. It soon dissipated leaving Ichigo holding Ulquiorra's fingers. He looked at the green eyed hollow calmly, "They're not enemies…"

'_White…I wonder what his interest in these beings is?_' Ulquiorra wondered as he lowered his hand.

Starrk simply stared at the two of them somewhat anxiously, "So you two are both Vasto Lordes? He follows you?"

"Not just him…I have other companions as well. I'm gathering allies," Ichigo said as he glanced over at Ulquiorra.

Starrk seemed interested, "I see…and you want to become the King of Hueco Mundo? What for?"

"To unite the hollows against the Shinigami…and so none of us have to endure this place alone," he stated seriously.

Ulquiorra turned towards him with a look of approval, '_He's like a light in the darkness…drawing all of us to him_. _If any hollow was meant to rule here, it'd be him_.'

The Arrancar seemed genuinely amazed by the statement. Starrk looked over at Lilynette uncertainly before turning back towards Ichigo, "Can we join you? Lilynette and I have always wanted allies."

"Of course you can…I'll look out for you if you look out for me. There's no reason why we shouldn't stick together," Ichigo nodded.

"I never properly introduced myself…my name is Coyote Starrk…and this is Lilynette Gingerback," the Arrancar spoke.

"I go by White, but my real name is Ichigo…feel free to call me either," the Orange haired hollow responded.

Ulquiorra tilted his head curiously, '_Ichigo? That must have been his human name_…'

"What's his name?" Lilynette piped up as she pointed at Ulquiorra.

Ichigo glanced over at his long-lost companion and shrugged, "I don't know…he doesn't talk, but that doesn't matter to me. We're kindred spirits of a sort…"

"What's that mean?" Lilynette asked.

"It means they're alike," Starrk answered for her. The Arrancar narrowed his gaze at Ulquiorra cautiously, '_If a hollow like that came all this way to join up with him then this Ichigo guy is definitely worth following. Not to mention…I was not expecting him to be that powerful. Things will definitely be interesting with him around._'

"Hey Ichigo…" Lilynette tested his name eagerly, "when are you going to fight the King?"

"Very soon…" he said, "but first, I want to regroup with everyone."

Starrk looked away somewhat distantly, "I don't know if me being around them is a good idea…my spiritual pressure might kill them."

"If mine hasn't killed them then you have nothing to worry about, Starrk. Besides…they're tougher than you think," Ichigo reassured him. It seemed to be effective in relaxing him.

Lilynette wasted no time jumping on Ichigo's back and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pointed forward, "Take us there!"

Ichigo simply chuckled at her newfound excitement, "Alright…but you better hold on, I am fast."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Back at the cave XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I'm worried about him…how long has it been?" Apacci paced.

Mila Rose shook her head at the deer, "You're all worked up…will you stop pacing already?"

"I can't! I've been with Ichigo for so long now that I feel weird with him not being here," she shot back.

Sung-sun lowered her head, "Been with him huh? You have a funny way of saying things."

"You just had to make this more awkward didn't you?" Menoly sighed in annoyance. Loly was silent much to everyone's surprise as she simply sat near the entrance with Harribel. The Adjucha looked over at the Vasto Lorde concerned, "What do you sense? Is he okay?"

"I sense several strange spiritual signatures out there…I can't tell if what's happening, but it's definitely very strong."

Apacci ran towards the entrance and looked in the direction of a strange power surge, "That's it, I'm going! I can't just sit around here and wait any longer!"

"Stop…he wanted us to wait here for him, so we will. White will be alright…in fact, it feels as if that power is receding. Maybe he's resolved whatever it was already," Harribel theorized.

Close to an hour passed as everyone sat in uncomfortable silence. Apacci continued pacing nonstop before finally shrieking, "Oh c'mon! It's been forever! When's Ichigo coming back?!"

Answering her hysteria, said hollow suddenly appeared in sight. Apacci charged out towards him happily but stopped in her tracks when she noticed the three hollows behind him. The rest of the party followed suit and shared her surprise as they examined the very unusual newcomers.

Neither side spoke for an awkward moment, until Ichigo decided to break the ice, "I'm back…I recruited some new allies too."

"Some of them look like Arrancars! And what's with the mouthless hollow? Jeez…where'd you find this lot?" Loly announced.

For some reason Ulquiorra began to get more and more annoyed every time someone referred to him as "mouthless hollow."

Harribel made her way to the front and examined Ulquiorra and Starrk almost amazedly, "So you're actually going to do it then…"

"Do what?" Sung-sun interjected curiously.

"Unite Hueco Mundo…" she replied.

Ichigo nodded, "Defeating Barragan's just the start…though I think it's about time I confronted him."

"This is so cool!" Lilynette cheered. Starrk simply chuckled to himself, '_Where has this guy been all our lives? I'm surprised he wasn't the King already…_'

'_I wish I could say something to him_…' Ulquiorra thought as he placed a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. The orange haired hollow glanced back at him. Though no words were exchanged, Ichigo could tell that it was meant as a gesture of approval.

The horned hollow grinned as he faced towards Las Noches. His power soared momentarily traveling a great distance towards his destination to be. A considerable distance away, sitting on his throne, a bony Skeleton hollow stood up and faced Ichigo's direction. Though they were leagues apart, they could sense the other was issuing a challenge. Barragan laughed as he turned towards his nearest servants, "Ggio…spread the word; White is coming."

The saber tooth Adjucha paled, "Y-yes sir…should I call for our forces to fall back to Las Noches?"

"Not just our forces, but every hollow is invited…I think's it's about time I put an end to this arrogant fool. If he wishes to fight me, then it will be witnessed by all," Barragan stated.

Ggio nodded, "As you say, my king!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alright well there's another chapter. More like a super chapter. This one's twice the length of a normal one. "thanks Melkor-chan!" Ah you're welcome guys. (lol just kidding…I'm not really like that...i promise). Lots and lots of action and dialogue. Ichigo's gathering allies…some serious stuff is gonna go down next chapter. I hope you're ready…I want the hype to be real.

Anyways, I know a lot of people are pretty nitpicky when it comes to power levels in anime/etc, but as far as I'm concerned, Bleach's power levels have always been sketchy at best. I guess it's worth mentioning that things are not really canon in this story. Though honestly I prefer it that way. I mean the Soul Society is stupidly overpowered in canon anyways…(AKA defeating the espada without bankais) so yeah I wanted some more balance in this story. Hollows like Nel and Grimmjow are much stronger in this story than they "normally" would be. Sorry if that bothers anyone, but this is a fan fiction…so there's room for AU stuff like that.

As for the Yammy battle, let's be honest here…is anybody really going to miss him? Thought so. (incoming mad people…I better take cover). He's only an Adjucha here, so hopefully his defeat isn't too nerve-wracking for anyone. I just honestly don't care for him so I figured it'd be best to put him to better use lol.

Stay tuned for more surprises…you never know what OR WHO might show up next!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Three Paths**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX World of the Living, Karakura Town XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Isshin Kurosaki sighed heavily as he stared at the large picture of his wife on the wall. The outward demeanor that he had become accustomed to presenting in front of Ichigo was now nonexistent as the depression was clearly evident on his face. The former captain no longer felt the need to be as wacky or annoying as he used to be due to the absence of his son.

Yuzu and Karin had clearly noticed a difference in him ever since the death of their brother. Isshin cracked a fist as he continued to reflect in the dark silence of the room. Next to Masaki's large picture was one of Ichigo at fifteen. The orange haired teenager had a friendly scowl on his face and a look of confidence. Isshin stared at it intently, '_You had your whole life ahead of you Ichigo…maybe you could have even become a Shinigami like me…or a Quincy like your mother. I knew you could see spirits…I should have warned you about hollows. But how could White have found us here? Whatever killed you, Ichigo, was looking for you. I can't let the same thing happen to Karin or Yuzu. Maybe I should talk to them._'

"What are you doing?" Karin's voice sounded from out of nowhere. Isshin jerked around surprised to see his raven haired daughter looking up at him confused. Her timing seemed ironic to his previous thoughts prompting him to wonder if he should tell her. The man frowned as he tried to come up with an appropriate response, "Uh, I was just looking at Ichigo's picture. Sometimes I wonder who he took after more…me or his mother."

"Why does it matter? He's not here anymore," Karin said bitterly.

The man frowned at his daughter's attitude, "It's been over two years, Karin. You've never talked about what you saw that night. Even the police couldn't get anything out of you, but I think it's about time you talked to me about it. I've given you time, but now I need to know exactly what happened…"

"What?!" the girl said shocked by her father's bluntness.

"You can tell me anything…I'll believe you, so please just open up," Isshin said with a heavy tone of seriousness. Karin was shocked by his request. Normally her father would never directly ask her serious questions; especially when it came to Ichigo.

The thirteen year old girl glared at her father somewhat disapprovingly, "Somehow I doubt that. Why does it even matter anymore? You didn't seem this concerned about it two years ago when he died!"

"He didn't die to a murderer did he? You saw something…tell me, Karin," Isshin replied sternly. He hated having to be this stalwart with his daughter, but he knew that she knew something about Ichigo's death.

Karin bit her lip and looked away, "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Something else killed him…didn't it?" he continued despite the fact that Karin now appeared emotionally defensive. The young teenager backed away and yelled at him, "Just stop it okay?! Even if I told you, it wouldn't change a thing. It's not like you would believe me anyways."

"It was a hollow…you can see them just like Ichigo, could…can't you?" Isshin concluded. Karin's eyes widened in disbelief, "W-what are you talking about?"

"I knew you two could see spirits, because your mother and I could as well. I wanted you to live normal lives until you were old enough to learn the truth. Unfortunately, that was a mistake. Ichigo wasn't prepared for worst the spiritual world had to offer. I regret not warning him about hollows…but I won't make the same mistake with you, Karin. You need to know what a hollow is," Isshin explained.

Karin's eyes were full of both amazement and disbelief. She couldn't even find the words to reply as she simply stared at her father shocked.

Isshin took her silence as his cue to continue, "Hollows are corrupt spirits with fractured souls. Most originate from human souls who die in the world of the living. Have you ever seen spirits with chains on their chests? That is called a chain of fate. It links the spirit to the body. Dying causes it sever. Eventually if left unattended, the chain will corrode into nothingness. Once their chain of fate is gone, the spirit will cease being a spirit and become a monstrous creature with only one desire…to consume other souls. That is what a hollow is. It's what killed your brother and mother," Isshin said with a stoic look on his face.

Isshin was somewhat surprised to see Karin's reaction to the news. She seemed less defensive now as she held her head down, "That night two years ago…I saw a masked creature drag Ichigo away."

"What did it look like? Did it have horns and long hair?! Was it white and black with red markings?! Did it have an accentuated hole in its chest?" Isshin's eyes lit up with fury as he watched her anxiously.

Karin looked into his eyes for a brief moment, '_Wait…long hair? Horns? That's what Ichigo looks like now. Does he not know Ichigo is that hollow? Should I tell him?_'

For some unknown and unexplained reason, Karin felt that telling her father the details of the hollow that attacked Ichigo or the fact that Ichigo was now a hollow himself was a bad idea. She thought deeply about how to respond, '_Telling him, that a hollow turned Ichigo into that thing is only going to hurt him more…father has been through enough pain already_.'

"I think that was it, but don't remember what it looked like…but I do know that a masked creature definitely killed Ichigo," Karin half-lied. She regretted having to do so, but she felt as if it was the best way to protect both her brother and father at the same time.

Isshin cracked a fist, "That hollow that killed your brother…its name is White. It is one of the most powerful and dangerous of all its kind. The Soul Society views it as serious threat…and I will be the one to kill it."

"What?!" Karin gasped, "you…can't kill one of those things though. And what's the soul society?!"

The man sighed, "Oh…I guess I should finish explaining how the spirit world works so you understand. The spirits that linger in our world always end up in one of two places. They either become hollows or a Shinigami will show up to send them to the afterlife. Normal human spirits are called pluses. The good ones go to the Soul Society once a Shinigami performs a Konso. The bad ones are sent to hell. This is the primary duty of Shinigami. The other duty is to purify hollows."

"How do you know all of this? What does any of that have to do with us?" Karin asked uncertainly.

Isshin pointed his thumb back at himself, "I used to be a Shinigami, Karin…it's why you and your brother can see spirits. Masaki could too…but she is what's called a Quincy. They're like Shinigami, but are different and do not share our same philosophies."

"You know how crazy this all sounds to me…right? What makes you think I believe any of this?" Karin asked somewhat skeptically.

He looked back at the picture of Masaki, unfazed by Karin's remark, "These creatures are dangerous, and some would even say evil. I can't speak for their race as a whole, but I know that White, is the worst of their kind. Whether you believe me or not, never approach a masked spirit under any circumstance."

"You talked about Shinigami purifying spirits in our world? What happens when a hollow is purified?" Karin asked as she wondered about Ichigo's condition. She finally decided to accept her father's information due to the unusual streak of coincidental experiences to prove it true. Namely her encounter with Ichigo being the primary factor.

Isshin seemed surprised by her question, "Hmm…well it's the same thing that happens when a Konso is performed on a plus. The hollow's spirit is eventually sent to the soul society and reborn there."

Karin's eyes lit up, but her father didn't notice as he looked back at the pictures of his dead family members. The young teenager thought for a moment, '_So then if they purify Ichigo, he can go to this soul society? Maybe they can help him_.'

"How did you become a Shinigami?" Karin asked her father anxiously.

Isshin turned around again with a look of curiosity, "I was born in the Soul Society…why do you ask?"

"Is it possible for me to become a Shinigami like you then?" Karin asked slowly.

The man seemed to be caught off guard by his daughter's question, "I-I don't know…that's something I'd have to ask Kisuke. It's dangerous…and you kids are all human."

"Well I want to be able to protect myself in case another one of these hollows show up…" Karin tried to reassure him.

After her comment a strange thought crossed her mind, "Hey, wait a minute…if you are a Shinigami then how come you couldn't fight the hollow the night it killed Ichigo?!"

"That's because your mother and I lost our powers after White attacked and nearly killed Masaki many years ago. I used to be a captain in the Soul Society…my powers have only recently returned Karin," he said sadly.

The man shook his head, "Believe me…I wish I could have done something to save Ichigo. He was a great kid…with a good heart. He always cared about helping others. His mother would have been so proud…" Isshin said as a lump formed in his throat.

He looked away from his daughter ashamed by his own emotional behavior. After a moment he recollected himself, "Maybe you could become a Shinigami, Karin…but I can't watch another person in my family die needlessly. If you're serious about it then there'll be no turning back."

"I just wish there was something I could have done for Ichigo…I just sat there as that hollow dragged him away. I've never felt that helpless before…and I never want to again. I'll do whatever it takes to become strong and fight to protect our family. It's what Ichi-nii would have wanted," Karin said somewhat emotionally. While the statement was true, she also hoped that by choosing this path she would eventually see her brother again.

Isshin smiled weakly at her announcement, "Well, at least you would be safer in the Soul Society training than you would be here. You do realize that means you have to quit school right?"

"So what? I don't really care about school anyways. I'd rather be doing something about these hollows!" Karin responded eagerly.

"Well you'd be quitting one school to join another. To become a Shinigami you need to go through the Shinigami academy…that is assuming you're even capable. We should go see Kisuke Urahara and find out what your potential is. He has a better mind for this stuff than I do," Isshin noted.

"My only concern is what about Yuzu?" Karin asked her father curious about what they were going to tell her.

Isshin sighed, "I don't know if she's spiritually adept or not…but even if she was, Yuzu is too kind and sweet to put this burden on. For her sake, I think she's better off not knowing."

"You're right…Ichigo would have wanted me to protect her with him being gone," Karin nodded in agreement. For a brief moment she wondered if was a good idea to tell her father about Ichigo being a hollow. '_I don't want to see him suffer any more from this. He doesn't have to know that Ichigo is a hollow. From the way he talks about them, I can tell that it'd destroy him to know the truth. Maybe it'll make purifying Ichigo easier if he doesn't know…I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry Ichi-nii._'

The father looked down at his daughter with a weak smile, "If all goes well with Kisuke, I might be able to convince the Soul Society to enroll you in the Shinigami Academy. We're actually nobility in the Soul Society…my old family name Shiba is one of the major houses there."

"Really?" Karin said gawking, "jeez…there's a lot you need to tell me then. So…you said mom was a Quincy right? What are they exactly?"

Isshin looked back at Masaki, "They are spiritually adept humans who hunt down and destroy hollows. They collect spiritual particles called Reishi and refine it into weapons. Typically they use bows and they're quite powerful…a long time ago the Soul Society wiped most of them out."

"What? Why?" Karin asked shocked.

He shrugged, "They destroy hollows, unlike us who purify them. It throws the world out of balance. The Soul Society viewed their philosophies as a danger to the well being of the natural balance of the spirit world."

"So then how did you and mom get married?" Karin cocked her head confused.

Isshin sighed, "It's a long story…I'll tell you about it another time. Taking all this in at once might be a bit overwhelming for my little girl."

Karin raised a brow, "I'm not a little girl anymore…I'm going to be a Shinigami like you."

"Ha! I knew you always took after your dear old dad!" Isshin's serious mood changed to a light hearted one as he reached to hug his daughter.

She kicked him back with tremendous force, "Don't push it…"

Despite her remark she smiled at her father's goofy ranting afterward, '_Maybe we can help Ichigo after all…_'

Meanwhile outside of the open back door, Yuzu stood frozen in shock as she had overheard the entire conversation between Isshin and Karin. She was too afraid to move fearing that they would notice her.

Yuzu was devastated by the unbelievable truth of her brother's death. '_Karin-chan, why wouldn't you trust me enough to tell me about what happened to Onii-chan_?' she thought distraught. Yuzu was completely overwhelmed by the strange, supernatural news.

Back inside, Isshin finally stopped ranting goofily as Karin coughed, "Ahem…so what's Yuzu going to do if we're in this Soul Society?"

"I'll leave her with Kisuke Urahara. He owns a shop nearby. For the time being, he can keep your sister safe while we're away. Although I won't be there for long since I have to keep an eye out for White, here…" Isshin explained.

Karin nodded, "Okay…so what about school then? How are we going to keep this from Yuzu?"

"Just let me handle that…" he replied, "the soul society has a way of tweaking official records. I can just 'home school' you. Maybe send you 'abroad'" Isshin winked several times.

"You don't think that seems a bit shady?" she crossed her arms.

Isshin sighed, "Listen, Karin…if you want to be a full time Shinigami, then you won't have much time for a human life. You don't have to do it if you don't want."

"I want to do it…don't try to talk me out of it old man," she shot back.

"Old man?! Gosh…you're more like your brother than I thought," he chuckled.

Back outside, Yuzu couldn't help but feel alienated by her family's need to keep her in the dark about what was happening, '_I'm not a baby anymore…why do they not want me to know?!_'

Feeling upset, by the situation, she quietly left around the corner of the house and decided to go for a walk. Along the way, Yuzu began to start crying, '_Poor Onii-chan…to have died to a…hollow? What did papa say they were? Masked spirits?_'

Adding to her melancholy and despair, thunder crackled across the sky as it began to rain heavily all of a sudden. The usually peppy, optimistic girl was now depressed as she began to start running through the rain. Not only was the overwhelming news about her family extremely difficult to cope with, but the fact that they didn't believe she was capable of knowing it is what hurt the most. Her feelings were deeply hurt by it.

After running for what felt like hours, the fresh teenager was back at the gravesite of her brother and mother. Yuzu clenched a fist as she dropped to her knees. Her sobs grew more audible as she held her head down in defeat, '_It's not fair…why is this happening?! Onii-chan…Ichigo. I wish you were here…_'

As she looked up for a brief moment, Yuzu noticed the faint silhouette of somebody at a grave further away. The person was an older man who appeared extremely out of place. Upon making eye contact, the man immediately made his way to her. He was quick to speak his mind, "You can see me?"

"W-who are you? Of course I can…" Yuzu replied nervously.

Upon noticing the chain in the man's chest a revelation struck her, "A-are you a spirit?!"

His eyes saddened upon hearing her comment, "I don't know. I've been here for a long time, and nobody ever notices me. You can see me though…am I dead?!"

"Ummm…I think so," Yuzu replied somewhat frightened. In truth she had grown more spiritually aware ever since the death of her brother. She had been able to sense them around her, but only now was she able to fully see the dead like Karin. '_Why is this happening? Why can I see ghosts now? Is this real?_' Yuzu thought concerned.

"Please! You have to help me! My wife! Where is she!? I need you to tell her I'm okay!" the man pleaded as he ran towards the girl. Yuzu flinched fearfully as he charged and accidentally fired a strange blue energy bolt from her hand launching the spirit away.

The man looked up in fear, "W-what are you?!"

"Wha-what? I'm sorry!" Yuzu nearly cried not really aware of what she had just done. The ghost wasted no time running away from her terrified much to her disbelief. After he left, Yuzu looked down at her hands frightened. They had a very faint blue glow over them. She began to cry again as she dropped to Ichigo's grave, '_What am I going to do? What just happened?_'

It wasn't long before her crying caught the attention of someone else.

"What do we have here? A little girl crying in a graveyard all alone?" a strange voice sounded. Yuzu's eyes shot open as she jerked around looking for its source. Much to her simultaneous amazement and horror, she noticed a very unusual looking woman behind her. Yuzu didn't see a chain and assumed this woman had to have been human.

The woman was wearing some strange white outfit that showed off quite a bit of skin. Her eyes were green and she had golden lime colored hair with a white uniform hat to match her revealing outfit. The woman had an umbrella as well likely to keep her spotless white uniform dry from the heavy rain.

Yuzu examined her more closely, '_She looks like a foreigner_.'

"Who are you?" Yuzu asked cautiously as she stood up and started to wipe her face. Thankfully, the blue glow around her hands had gone away. The skimpily dressed woman chuckled, "Well…straight to the point aren't you? The name's Candice…"

"What are you doing here?" Yuzu was now very nervous by this unusual foreigner's presence.

Candice shook her head, "I just heard you crying…and I felt your spiritual energy. You're a Quincy aren't you?"

Yuzu said nothing as she took a step back. The woman quickly took note of Yuzu's distrust and sighed, "Oh chill out will you? You people are so skittish. I'm not going to hurt you, little girl. I'm a Quincy too."

The young Kurosaki teen remained silent despite the information. Candice scowled at her silence, "Well in case you were wondering, I was just looking for someone else when I sensed you is all. It's not often I see one of our people that I don't know. What's your name, girl?"

"Why should I tell you?" Yuzu countered with an evident fright.

"Ugh…kids are so annoying," the woman sighed, "for the last time, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a Sternritter…and since we're both Quincies, we're allies. Now tell me who you are, and why I don't know you?"

"Yuzu…" was all the girl answered.

Candice rolled her eyes, "So is that your family name or given name?"

"What do you want from me? My Papa tells me not to talk to strangers," Yuzu replied.

"Well Yuzu…mind telling me why you're crying in a graveyard all by yourself? I'm sure if your father dislikes you talking to strangers…he would definitely dislike you being out here alone in the rain," Candice said.

Yuzu shook her head, "I should probably head home then…"

"Hmm…this grave," Candice interrupted as she walked closer to where Ichigo's body was buried, "Kurosaki Ichigo huh? Was this somebody in your family? I'll remember that name…Yuzu Kurosaki."

The young teenager's eyes widened horrified by the foreign woman's creepy behavior, "Excuse me…"

Yuzu began to walk as fast as she could away from the scene without looking like she was running away.

Candice simply stepped aside and watched her leave, '_That Ryuken guy told me that he and his son were the only Quincies in this town. Maybe I should look into this. But first…_'

"By the way, Yuzu," Candice announced causing Yuzu to momentarily stop in her tracks and look back, "if you want to learn more about your Quincy powers, go seek out a man named Ryuken Ishida. I think he owns the hospital around here."

'_Ishida-san? Isn't he one of Papa's friends? I think I've seen him before,_' Yuzu thought confused.

Mustering her courage, Yuzu gulped, "Why should I do that?"

"Hmph…because if the Soul Society finds out you're a Quincy they'll kill you. Maybe you're not adept enough yet to notice, but this city is crawling with Shinigami. Your power seems new and it is increasing…if you don't learn how to mask it, they'll track you down. Believe me when I say that they're not as nice as I am."

The young teen felt her stomach flip upon hearing the news, '_But Papa is a Shinigami though isn't he? Would he let them hurt me?! What should I do…onii-chan I wish you were here_.'

Without another word, Yuzu took off. This time, she didn't even try to hide the fact that she was running away. The lime haired woman laughed as she turned back towards the gravesite, '_Kurosaki…that sounds so familiar. Well I'm sure somebody else will figure it all out. I should probably follow the girl and see what Ryuken knows about her family. She might be an interesting recruit._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karakura Town Hospital, one hour later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yuzu panted heavily as she arrived at the hospital. It appeared less busy than usual, likely due to the heavy rain. The Kurosaki girl was completely drenched head to toe, and had no doubt that she was probably going to get sick from it.

Ignoring her appearance for the moment, she caught her breath and entered the front door of the hospital. Yuzu quickly approached the front desk and met the gaze of a very concerned woman behind the counter. The woman looked down at her, "Oh you poor thing, you're soaked. What happened?"

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if there was any way I could talk to Ishida-san," Yuzu asked skittishly. She knew it was a long shot request, but Yuzu felt it appropriate to try since Ryuken was her father's friend. The woman at the front desk chuckled softly, "Ahem…well I'm afraid I can't just let some random person off the street talk to him. Would you like to schedule an appointment? Also are your parents around?"

"N-no…he's a friend of my Papa. I was just looking for him. I don't know where Ishida-san lives," Yuzu replied.

"Why not ask your father then?" the front desk lady questioned. Yuzu was beginning to doubt that she had a chance of meeting the man this way. She sighed as she turned to leave, "I suppose I should then…"

Thankfully the woman seemed to feel bad about Yuzu's condition and spoke up, "Well…I can tell him you came by if you give me a name," the woman suggested.

Yuzu nodded thankfully, "Kurosaki Yuzu. I would greatly appreciate if you let him know."

As she made her way back towards the front door, the woman at the front desk stood up, "Do you need me to call someone? A young woman shouldn't be wandering out in the rain all by herself."

"I'll be fine…" Yuzu said softly as she left before the woman could stop her. As she exited, the thirteen year old turned the corner before the woman could pursue her. In part, Yuzu didn't want the woman to call her father. That would only stir up trouble.

'_If they want to keep me in the dark, then I'll just play along I suppose. Hopefully Ishida-san can help me_,' Yuzu contemplated.

She was drawn from her thoughts when she noticed an older teenager leaning against the side of a building with an umbrella. He had glasses, dark hair, and wore a white outfit. He wasted no time catching her attention, "Why are you looking for my father? He doesn't talk to that many people directly. I see no viable reason a girl your age would need to talk to him."

"Y-you're his son?" Yuzu asked slowly.

The young man nodded, "That's right…Uryu Ishida. Care to tell me who you are?"

"My name is Yuzu Kurosaki…" she answered almost immediately.

His eyes widened, "Kurosaki?! As in that carrot head delinquent Kurosaki?"

"You knew Ichigo?!" Yuzu gasped.

The teenager nodded, "Yes…we were in the same class. I remember he died over two years ago or something. You're his sister I take it?"

"Yes…" she nodded.

"You said your father was friends with mine? That's unusual…so what do you want from him then?" Uryu asked seriously as he pushed up his glasses.

Yuzu gulped and decided to just tell the truth, "I heard he was a Quincy…and that he could tell me about how to control my powers."

Uryu's eyes widened, "What?! You're a Quincy too? Hmph…come with me right away. Let's take cover before any Shinigami come around."

Uryu quickly held his umbrella over her head and led the Kurosaki girl back around the hospital towards some type of side door. He performed some unusual spell like action causing it to open and gestured for Yuzu to enter first. She decided to do so despite the evident risk of danger. Uryu immediately sealed the door behind them and brought the girl into what appeared to be a large underground chamber beneath the hospital.

Yuzu stood there gawking in awe at it, but was drawn from her admiration when Uryu coughed, "Well, if you are a Quincy then you did the right thing seeking out my family, but unfortunately, my father won't be much help to you. He doesn't care much for our cause or the fact that we're nearly extinct."

Yuzu turned towards Uryu curiously, "But…if he doesn't care, then how can he help me?"

"That's precisely what bothers me about this situation. How did you find out he even was a Quincy if you don't even know about your own powers?" Uryu asked.

The girl looked away, "This lady I spoke to told me to find him or else Shinigami would eventually try to kill me. I-I'm scared…"

The dark haired Quincy thought for a moment, '_A lady? Could it be one of the Vandenreich Quincies father and I spoke about? Hmm, I don't like how suspicious this is…but if this girl is really a Quincy then I should do something about it. I can't let the Shinigami catch her_.'

"Did that woman tell you her name at all?" Uryu questioned deep in thought.

Yuzu nodded, "Candice; I think she said she was a Sternritter or something like that."

The teen's eyes widened, "One of the Sternritters?! And she sent you to us?!"

"Who are they exactly?" Yuzu asked confused.

Uryu pushed up his glasses and sighed, "They're high ranking, powerful Quincies…the name itself means Star Knights. They've been coming around my father and I quite frequently as of late. They belong to an organization called the Vandenreich."

"What do they want with you?" Yuzu wondered aloud.

The young man held up his Quincy cross and showed her, "My father is a pureblood Quincy and he and I both possess great spiritual power. They said they were recruiting survivors. My father had no interest in them, and told me to avoid their organization. Though I can't help but wonder what they have planned or how many there even are."

"Why would they send me to you then?" Yuzu wondered.

The raven haired teen sighed, "I don't know, but I guess that's not really a high priority at the moment. The fact of the matter is, we're both Quincies. Since you have no clue about what that means, then I have no choice but to help you."

"This is all so…scary," the young teen said shakily.

Uryu nodded somewhat understandingly, "Just sit down and relax for a minute…I'll explain the history of our people to you. Then we'll start working on dealing with your powers."

"O-okay," Yuzu agreed as she took a seat.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX One Hour Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"That is why Shinigami are dangerous for our kind…" Uryu concluded.

Yuzu sat there almost lost in thought as she tried to reflect on all this new information. After a brief moment, she shook her head, "But…my father is a Shinigami and my mother was a Quincy."

"What?!" Uryu demanded shocked, "why didn't you say anything sooner?! You're saying my Quincy father is friends with your Shinigami father? That's absurd."

"I thought I told you not to bring anyone here, Uryu," A voice sounded across the room. Both teenagers looked up in surprise noticing Ryuken standing there with a stoic look on his face. He greatly resembled Uryu except for the fact that his hair was white.

The man disappeared and reappeared in front of them at impossible speed, greatly alarming Yuzu. She cringed slightly as the towering Quincy stared down at her, "The woman at the front desk said a girl was looking for me…I had no idea it was Isshin and Masaki's daughter. So…you've awakened Quincy powers?"

"What are you doing here?!" Uryu almost demanded.

Ryuken gave him a cold look, "I own this building and built this underground training area. The real question is what are you doing bringing people in here behind my back."

"I'm sorry Ishida-san," Yuzu immediately bowed her head, "but a strange woman told me to find you since I am a Quincy."

"Yes…I expected as much. The Sternritters probably want to know what your origin and relations are to my own family since I told them Uryu and I were the only Quincies in Karakura town," Ryuken explained.

"So what should we do about this? I was going to train her…" Uryu began wondering how his father would react.

Ryuken simply stared at Yuzu intently, "You take after Masaki then…hmm, interesting. I'm curious how Isshin would react to this."

"Please don't tell Papa," Yuzu objected causing both Ishidas to eye her surprised.

"Why is that?" Ryuken questioned.

Yuzu looked down sadly, "My sister, Karin wants to be a Shinigami like Papa…they don't want me to know about any of this spiritual stuff. The only reason I found out is because I eavesdropped on their conversation. My sister Karin has always been able to see spirits…Onii-chan could too. They think I'm normal…"

Ryuken's face seemed emotionless, "How long have you been able to see them."

"I think I've been able to sense them ever since Onii-chan died…but today I saw one for the first time." Yuzu admitted sadly, "I've never known what to believe until today."

"Have you ever seen a hollow?" Ryuken continued. His face was dead serious as if he was trying to pry information from her.

The young teenager gulped fearfully, "N-no…but I heard Karin-chan tell Papa that a hollow killed Onii-chan."

"I assumed that's how the boy died…what a shame. I would have been curious to see whether he turned out more like his mother or father. Since you appear to be more Quincy than Shinigami, I will give you something, Isshin returned to me," Ryuken spoke as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange looking cross.

"This belonged to your mother…it was her Quincy Cross. She would probably want you to have it," the older Quincy said as he handed the strange piece of jewelry to her.

"For someone who doesn't care about our cause, you are more okay with this than I thought you'd be," Uryu said surprised.

Ryuken glanced down at his son, "This is for Masaki's sake…not yours, mine, or even Isshin's. I'm sure she would have liked at least one of her children to be like her. Train the girl as you will…I leave this matter to you."

"What should we do about her wanting to keep it secret?" Uryu questioned.

Ryuken gave him a careless shrug, "When it comes to his children, Isshin is easy to fool…though if you truly wish to keep this a secret then do not associate with Kisuke Urahara."

"Is it really a good idea? What if her father gets mad about it?" Uryu protested.

His father stared at Yuzu trying to contemplate her reasoning. After a moment he crossed his arms, "Is there any particular reason why?"

Yuzu nodded, "Papa and Karin-chan are always worried about me. They still think I'm a baby and that I can't handle anything on my own. They don't tell me the truth…so why should I tell them?"

"That's rather childish," Uryu scoffed.

Ryuken nodded, "No her reasoning is sound. Isshin believes she is too frail to do anything on her own. He would very likely forbid me to properly train her in the arts of being a Quincy. For now, secrecy is the better option. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Uryu nodded.

"Umm…Ishida-san, why don't you like the Sternritters?" Yuzu asked as Ryuken began to leave. The white haired Quincy glanced back carelessly, "They're a bit revolutionary for my tastes. I'd caution you to avoid them, but if you choose not to then that is your choice."

Without another word, then man left, leaving Uryu and Yuzu alone. The teenager pushed up his glasses again and sighed, "Well, that solves our first dilemma. Since you have a Quincy Cross, I can start teaching you about the basics of being a Quincy. However, If you intend to keep this from your family, then I'd recommend you go home for now."

Realizing how late it now was, Yuzu gasped, "Oh no! they're probably wondering where I am!"

"I'll take you home then…if you want, meet me after school tomorrow in front of the hospital and we'll start training then," Uryu explained.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Thirty minutes later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yuzu slowly approached the front door to her house, and opened the door. Upon entering, she noticed Isshin standing there concerned, "Yuzu? You're home later than usual…you're soaking wet."

"Aha, yep, sorry Papa…I was working on a project at a friend's house and got caught in the rain on the way home," Yuzu lied. She hated having to do so, but the girl thought it'd be best to play along in ignorance to her family's true nature.

The man nodded for a moment, "Well you should be more careful out there…I would have come and gotten you. Next time let me know."

"Oh, Yuzu's back?" Karin asked as she came around the corner, "hey so guess what?"

"What?" Yuzu asked knowing full well that they were about to explain an excuse for Karin to go away.

"I got accepted into an exchange program!" Karin said uncharacteristically cheerful. Even under normal circumstances, Yuzu would have been able to tell that it was faked to a certain extent.

Feigning ignorance, the girl smiled, "Oh that's amazing, Karin-chan! Where are you going?"

"Somewhere overseas. Not really sure where yet!" she announced excitedly. The other girl cocked her head, "Ooooh…when do you leave?"

"Tomorrow actually…" Karin said, somewhat less cheerful.

Yuzu frowned, "So soon? Hmmm…I'm going to miss you,"

"Don't you worry, She won't be gone forever!" Isshin grinned patting his daughter on the head.

Karin immediately hugged her sister afterward, "I'll miss you too, Yuzu…but don't you worry, because I'll be back before you know it."

"By the way…I have a friend of mine I want you two to meet, tomorrow. His name is Kisuke Urahara…he owns a shop down the street. You'll be staying with him for a little bit, Yuzu, while I take Karin to her overseas sponsor. Since she's younger than average exchange students, I want to take her there myself," Isshin explained.

Yuzu wondered if she would have believed this excuse had she not learned the secrets of her family earlier that day. The girl nodded at the explanation, "Okay Papa…I'm going to take a bath."

"The water's still warm," Karin told her as she gestured for her sister to go. After she left, Karin and Isshin traded sad looks about having to lie to Yuzu.

The man leaned down and whispered to Karin, "Don't worry…Kisuke's a good guy. He'll make sure she's okay."

"I hope so…Yuzu's going to be lonely with both me and Ichi-nii gone," Karin said sadly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The next day, Urahara residence XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Approaching the Urahara shop was none other than Isshin and his two daughters. A man with a green and white striped hat and clogs was quick to greet them in front of it, "Ah, Isshin, good to see ya. Are these your cute little daughters? I'm surprised it took you this long to introduce me to them."

"Yep, aren't they the sweetest little angels you've ever seen?" Isshin grinned somewhat goofily.

Karin raised a brow, "I told you not to call us that…it's weird."

"Go ahead and introduce yourselves girls, this is Kisuke Urahara," Isshin gestured.

The man with the hat smiled, "Hey, nice to meet ya…"

"I'm Karin," said girl replied calmly without much emotion or concern.

Yuzu smiled and bowed, "My name is Yuzu…thanks for letting me stay here while my family is away."

Urahara and Isshin locked gazes for a moment. It was evident to Yuzu that they had some unspoken plan arranged to keep her from suspecting anything. Yuzu looked down for a moment and thought to herself, '_I want to become strong like Onii-chan…I want them to take me seriously_.'

"Well I should probably hurry off to school," Yuzu announced quickly turning to leave. Before she made it too far, she spoke again, "I'll be back late Urahara-san, I have a school project to work on."

"Be safe, Yuzu," Isshin waved, "we'll probably be leaving sometime this afternoon. Karin quickly followed after her sister and hugged her.

The dark haired young teen gave Yuzu a sad look, "I love you Yuzu…in case I'm gone when you get back today,"

"Ah don't worry, Karin-chan, you'll have fun. I'll be okay," Yuzu reassured her lightening Karin's mood slightly.

The girl then turned around the corner and waved, "Bye bye, I'm off to school now."

After she left, Urahara glanced at Isshin and towards Karin, "So…this is the one that wants to be a Shinigami?"

"Yeah, that's right," Karin replied as she looked up and met the man's gaze.

He brought a hand to his chin thoughtfully, "Hmm…alright, well if you don't mind, Isshin, I'm going to see what the extent of her spiritual powers are. Normally it would take years to refine them, but I could speed things along if you trust me to do it."

"Do what you have to…but I don't want you trying any of your weird experiments," Isshin said sternly.

Kisuke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Ah jeez, you act like I'm some kind of mad scientist…"

"Aren't you?" Isshin chuckled.

The man sighed as he looked back at Karin, "Alright, Karin, come with me and we'll get started."

The girl followed her father and Kisuke into the shop and past several strangers. One was a burly man with a moustache who waved, "Good to see you Isshin…Kisuke's told us all about today. So is this the girl?"

"Yep, this is her," Isshin put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

Karin noticed two children arguing with each other further away in the room, but they didn't appear very concerned about her or Isshin.

Kisuke coughed, "Well, come this way, and we'll get to my secret training area."

After leading the two down quite a ways, they arrived at some stairs that took them underground into a huge rocky training area.

Karin gawked at it in awe, "W-what the? This is all underground?!"

"Yeah, I built this little training area a while back now," Kisuke said casually.

"To do wacky experiments in…" Isshin added.

"Now now, it's not all like that, Isshin. I'm a humble shop owner with a few harmless hobbies," Kisuke chuckled.

Karin sighed, "Well what do I have to do to become a Shinigami?"

"Well normally, you just need to have some skill in using spiritual power. An average Shinigami hopeful can get through the curriculum in six years or so. Although there are exceptions to this…right Isshin?" Urahara turned to his friend.

The former captain nodded. He went over towards a nearby rock and sat down; not long after, his spirit suddenly emerged from his body. Karin looked over his Shinigami uniform surprised. Isshin pointed over towards his body, "Sit down, Karin."

Doing as instructed, she sat next to Isshin's body, which appeared to be sleeping in an upright seated position. He reached down, and much to her disbelief, pulled her spirit out of her body. Karin was beyond shocked as she could now see her own body in front of her. Upon noticing the chain on her chest connected to her limp body, Karin knew that she was in spirit form.

Kisuke looked over at Isshin seriously, "You realize we're going to have to cut it if she wants to go through with this…"

"Wait…what does that mean?" Karin asked.

"It means you're going to have to die…in a manner of speaking," Isshin said distantly.

Karin cocked her head, "I don't understand…"

Isshin spoke seriously, "You have the spirit of a Shinigami, but you are also still human. By cutting the chain, you will be able to fully pursue the Shinigami path. While you're away, Kisuke will preserve your body so that you may return when appropriate. You'll technically, be dead, but you will be able to return to your body. It will be a proper gigai…and he will make sure it ages in correspondence to your spirit."

"This is…crazy," Karin thought somewhat nervously now.

Isshin gave her one last look in the eyes as he reached for his sword, "This is it…here and now, Karin. You can still turn back. However, once this chain is severed, you can never be fully human again."

Karin seemed to weigh her options for a moment, but the thought of Ichigo in his wicked hollow form solidified her decision, '_I need to do this…for Yuzu and Ichi-nii's sake_.' This was the path she had dreamed of for so long. Finally, she had a chance to see her brother again, and do something about the horrible fate he had suffered. Karin cracked a fist as she looked up at her father, "Do it…"

Isshin nodded somewhat reluctantly as he drew his Zanpaktou. The man held it over his head for a brief moment and brought it down severing Karin's chain of fate. The sensation of "dying" was not what she expected. It wasn't necessarily painful, but Karin felt a wide range of unusual feelings as she dropped to her knees.

Kisuke looked at Isshin seriously, "You know what comes next right?"

The girl's father looked away sadly, "Yeah…do what you have to Kisuke."

In truth, Isshin wasn't entirely in favor of Karin pursuing the life, or death as it were, of a Shinigami. Nevertheless, he had spent much time thinking about it over the past day, '_If the captain commander insists on me having to come back, then I suppose Karin being there too, is for the best. Although I still have no clue what to do about Yuzu…If nothing else maybe I can ask Ryuken or Kisuke to keep an eye on her while we're dealing with White_.'

"What's happening?!" Karin shouted shocked as her severed chain began to eat itself. She looked at her father horrified, "What should I do?"

"You must awaken your Shinigami powers before the encroachment of hollowfication. If you don't then you will become a hollow, and your father will have to perform a Konso," Kisuke explained. Isshin looked away somewhat regretfully. He hated having to put his own daughter through this, but he knew it was the fastest way to draw out Karin's power.

"But how am I supposed to do that?!" she gasped. Before Isshin could respond, Kisuke created a deep pit and threw her in. On the way down, her arms became bound by some strange type of spiritual magic. Karin landed on her stomach and turned her head up towards the top looking worried, "What are you doing?!"

"You need to climb out of that shaft, and the only way to do that is to become a Shinigami. If you don't then, you'll turn into a hollow. You have seventy two hours…good luck." Kisuke announced

"How am I supposed to do that? I don't know anything about how to be a Shinigami!" Karin protested.

"I believe in you Karin…I wouldn't have agreed to this if I didn't believe you were a Shinigami already. Just focus on your inner spirit," Isshin reassured her.

Isshin sat down nearby and looked over at Kisuke, "You better be right about this…I'm trusting you to make sure this works."

"I'm sure it'll work out…besides, if all goes well, this will greatly reduce the time she has to spend in the academy. That combined with your Shiba heritage, and she'll be put in first class," Kisuke noted.

The former captain smiled, "I hope so…for your sake. You should probably go back upstairs whenever Yuzu gets back. Tell her we already left, if she asks about us."

"Sure thing," Urahara nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxXXXXXX Karakura Town Hospital That Afternoon XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After school, Yuzu was quick to return to the Karakura Town Hospital. She looked around in front of the entrance for any sign of Uryu, and was thankful when she spotted him leaning against a wall. The Quincy approached her casually, "Glad to see you made it…c'mon we're going to start training underground."

"Okay," Yuzu nodded as she followed Uryu around the side of the building and into the underground chamber. Upon their arrival, Yuzu looked around surprised to see it had been refurnished with a wide variety of training equipment, training dummies, targets, and any manner of useful tool one could imagine.

Uryu looked at her and spoke calmly, "To understand your Quincy powers you need to know where they originate. Quincies absorb nearby Reishi and use it to create makeshift energy weapons. Ideally, most use a bow…for example."

The teenager held up his Quincy Cross and formed it into a blue spirit bow much to Yuzu's amazement. It glowed the same color as her hands from the other day. The raven haired teen then drew the bow string and fired a barrage of blue arrows out of nothing. They fired in a torrential arc each hitting one of the established targets perfectly.

After his display, Uryu explained, "First you need to understand what this power is. The spiritual power that makes up souls and fills the air is called Reishi. It's much less prevalent in the world of the living, but it is what Quincies draw upon to power our weapons. Reiryoku is the raw spiritual power a soul possesses. It is what allows you to sense spiritual power and see spirits. The more you have, the stronger your soul. Finally there is Reiatsu or spiritual pressure. This is the pressure manifested by one's own spiritual signature which can be sensed and used for a wide variety of things. I could go into detail, but that's mainly what you need to know. In order for you to learn how to use your power, you must first draw upon your own Reiryoku and use it to absorb nearby Reishi over your Quincy Cross. This will form a weapon."

Yuzu felt uncertain as she raised the cross up in a similar fashion as Uryu. She looked over at him confused, "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Concentrate on your inner spirit…it should feel natural. If it helps, you can also focus on something that motivates you. A strong willpower is the key in doing this," Uryu explained.

Yuzu nodded as she closed her eyes. She tried to recall the other day when the spirit charged her. The evident fear and reaction was not something she could really replicate properly. She grimaced is she tried to focus harder on the energy.

Uryu sighed, "It also helps if you have a reason to want to use your power. You say a hollow killed your brother? Think about that…what would you do if drawing on this power was the only thing that could save him?"

This seemed effective in inciting the girl's willpower as her hands began to faintly glow. Uryu smiled approvingly, "Good, keep that thought…imagine that hollow is right in front of you now. It's charging you…"

Much to Uryu's approval, Yuzu managed to manifest a small bow from her mother's cross. The girl's eyes shot open as she instinctively fired a huge arrow from it. It didn't hit any target, but instead flew into the opposite wall.

The Ishida teen stared at the large arrow curiously as it did not dissipate upon impact. Then much to his shock it exploded, blowing a huge hole in the wall.

Yuzu was shaking slightly, as she looked over at her fellow Quincy, "How did I do, Uryu-kun?"

His eyes visibly widened as he pushed up his glasses, "That was…good."

He stared at her somewhat surprised, '_I wasn't expecting her to have such quick results. That exploding Reishi arrow, is not something I'm familiar with. Her Reiryoku must be powerful if she was able to manifest such an attack. Still…if that's the case, then why wasn't her carrot top brother this strong either? Hmm…and it's not very normal to develop strong spiritual power at this age. Most are simply born with it. Maybe this has something to do with her father being a Shinigami and her mother a Quincy._'

Much to his disbelief, Ryuken's voice sounded next to him, "Don't look so surprised, Uryu, her mother was a prodigy amongst Quincies and her father was a captain Shinigami. I'd be disappointed if she wasn't at this level."

"W-where did you come from?!" Yuzu gasped as she noticed Ryuken now standing there out of nowhere. The white haired man crossed his arms, "I came by to observe for a few minutes."

"Why did it take so long for her spiritual powers to manifest then?" Uryu asked his father not fully understanding the situation.

Ryuken shrugged, "I couldn't say for sure, but if you wanted my opinion on the matter, I believe that is in part due to the lack of spiritual presence. Masaki and Isshin both lost their powers over twenty years ago. Isshin only recently regained his. She said she could sense spirits after her brother died…likely that is due to the close encounter with a hollow. Though this is all simply speculation."

"Excuse me, Ishida-san, but Papa is taking Karin-chan to the Soul Society to become a Shinigami," Yuzu said as she turned towards Ryuken.

The man nodded, "Yes, I believe you mentioned that last night."

"He's left me with Kisuke Urahara while they're gone…what should I do about it?" Yuzu asked curiously.

Ryuken's eyes widened, "Hmm…if you're going to be around him, then it is imperative you learn how to mask your spiritual power. I suggest you teach her that immediately, Uryu."

"Yes father," said teen sighed in acceptance.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Beneath the Urahara Shop XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"How's it going down there, Karin?" Urahara asked as he looked into the pit below. Karin grimaced as she struggled up to her knees. The chain had been rapidly eating away at itself. The girl had no way of knowing how long had passed, but she felt worried the more and more she watched the links eat away at each other.

"It's getting late, Kisuke…you should go upstairs in case Yuzu gets home. I'll stay overnight," Isshin stated.

The hat and clog man nodded, "Okay, keep up the good work down there, Karin."

She glared at him from her half prone, bound position, but said nothing as she tried to focus on her inner spirit.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Upstairs XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yuzu slowly approached the entrance to Urahara's shop and was graciously met by the man, "Ah hey Yuzu, welcome back. How'd your little project go?"

"I should be finished with it soon," Yuzu smiled.

Kisuke nodded, "Good to hear. By the way, your father and sister already left earlier this afternoon. I know things might be a little boring around here, but don't worry. I'll make sure your needs are attended to. So if you need anything…money, help with homework, etc, then don't you be shy about coming to me."

"Thank you Urahara-san…I'm actually thinking about joining an after school club since I won't have much to do with Karin-chan and Papa being gone," the girl replied.

"Ah nice, well anyways, come on inside," Kisuke replied.

Yuzu did as instructed and went inside. The man slowly trailed behind her and pointed down the hallway, "That door at the end on the left is where you'll be sleeping. Also, I've told Jinta and Ururu not to bother you much, so make yourself at home."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Three Days Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Karin grimaced fearfully as her chain was nearly gone now. In a moment of desperation she felt her consciousness slipping away. Before long she found herself in some sort of strange landscape. It was an ocean with a glowing blue moon shining over a dark night.

She was standing on what appeared to be a small island with a single, massive tree. Karin gasped as she tried to figure out where she was. A voice quickly caught her attention, "Karin…"

The young teen looked over at the voice's origin and noticed a woman with blue hair the same color as the moon's. She was sitting on one of the tree's branches. The woman quickly leapt down and looked her over seriously, "I'm guessing you have no clue who I am or where we are?"

"This is…my inner spirit?" Karin assumed.

The blue haired woman grinned, "Correct…"

The sight of another individual quickly caught her attention as well. It appeared to be a long brown haired man with sunglasses adorned in a tattered flowing, coat. He had a light, grizzled beard and a look of dead seriousness.

"Who are you people?" Karin asked curiously as she looked between the man and woman.

"Well now that is the question isn't it? You're a smart girl aren't you? Maybe you can figure it out?" the woman taunted.

Karin glared at her, "You're pretty condescending for somebody who just met me."

"This might be our first time meeting, but we know everything about who you are…" the man spoke up causing Karin to shift her focus to him.

It was then Karin had a better grasp of what who they were, "Why would people be in my inner spirit unless…"

"That's right, we're a part of you," the woman answered for her.

Karin glanced over at the man and scowled, "So what's with him then? I'm pretty sure some creepy old guy wouldn't be a part of my inner spirit."

"Maybe you should be more concerned about the chain of fate eating away at itself. The time of encroachment is almost here," the man explained.

The woman shook her head and laughed, "Maybe she wants to become a hollow like her precious Onii-chan?"

Karin glared at the woman angrily, "What did you just say?!"

"I'm pretty sure you heard me…" the woman giggled.

The man sighed, "There isn't time to waste…you must awaken your shinigami powers if you wish to save yourself. This inner world is already collapsing."

Karin looked around and noticed the island they were standing on was now beginning to sink. The sky itself appeared to be flaking away in darkness. The woman looked up casually, "Make your choice now, Karin…accept us, or become hollow."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Beneath Urahara's Shop XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Karin awoke from her inner world with blue spiritual energy surging from her body. The restraints on her arms could no longer hold her as the girl managed to break free from them. Looking down at her chest, she noticed one final link about to chew away at itself.

Reaching for it, she suddenly manifested a sword from her body. The chain suddenly disappeared as the blue glow of power erupted followed by her swift escape from the pit.

Kisuke looked impressed, and Isshin relieved as they noticed the girl now adorned in Shinigami attire with a sealed Zanpaktou in her hand.

Karin was shocked by the turn of events and looked over her appearance, amazedly, "What just happened?"

"Good job, Karin…I never once doubted you," Kisuke said grinning as he rubbed the back of his head. Isshin sent him a short, intimidating glare before turning towards his daughter with a wide grin. He immediately hugged her, "My beautiful daughter is now just like her dear dad!"

Under normal circumstances, she would have comically deflected his affection, but due to her relief and excitement, the girl hugged him back. Afterward she quickly punched him in the gut, "Next time you better warn me when you let me lie in a hole for three days!"

"Urgh!" Isshin doubled over, "that actually hurts now!"

After a quick, amusing argument, Kisuke coughed to catch their attention, "Well anyways, sorry about having to do that, Karin, but it'll make your time spent at the Shinigami academy a breeze. In fact, I'll go ahead and set up the door to the Seireitei. I'm sure your dad will have you enrolled in no time."

"How has Yuzu been?" Karin asked concerned.

Kisuke shrugged, "She seems alright…said something about joining a school club."

"That's good…I just don't want her to be lonely," Karin nodded.

"While Kisuke's setting up the doorway, I'll give you a run down on how the Soul Society works, Karin," Isshin said as he motioned for his daughter to sit down next to him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As Ichigo and company approached Las Noches, each and everyone of them could sense the overwhelming collection of spiritual power gathered there. The sound of chanting and thumping could be heard even from the distance they were at.

Harribel glanced over at Ichigo concerned, "I've never sensed so many hollows in one place before…"

"The ground is shaking! Do you feel this?" Apacci cut in as she felt the rhythmic thumping continue.

Ichigo narrowed his gaze into the horizon, "For so many hollows to have gathered…Barragan likely wants an audience for our battle. It seems this battle really will decide the fate of Hueco Mundo."

"What are they chanting? I can't understand it?" Lilynette added as she tried to focus on the chant between the rhythmic thumping.

"Let's get closer and find out," Starrk replied.

The rest of the Adjucha entourage had been mostly silent ever since they began heading towards Las Noches. All of them were worried, but some hid it better than others. Sung-sun chuckled, "Well I'm sure it will be quite the spectacle. A gathering like this is unprecedented."

"I can't wait to see the look on Barragan's bony face when he sees us!" Mila Rose added her two cents.

Loly grinned, "He's going to be terrified!"

Menoly frowned somewhat nervously, "The air is getting really heavy…I hope nobody gets hurt. Something like this is bound to draw every remaining Vasto Lorde out of hiding."

"Isn't that a good thing? Ichigo wants to unite all of the powerful hollows," Apacci cut in.

The chanting was now able to be understood as the group closed in on the palace. It echoed like a thunder as the sound of thousands of hollows chanted, "White, White, White, White, White!"

Harribel glanced over at Ichigo, "They're chanting your name? Why?"

Ichigo thought for a moment, '_I knew this day would eventually come, but I had no idea he was going to invite half of Hueco Mundo to watch us battle_.'

"I don't know…but my guess is that is that they're calling me here to challenge him," Ichigo surmised.

"Then we should gladly oblige! I can't wait to kick some ass!" Apacci added.

Harribel nodded, "Barragan's reign of terror ends today."

Ulquiorra silently stared at Ichigo deep in thought, before turning his gaze upon the enormous palace in front of them, '_I never knew such a structure existed out here…I wasn't even aware that this many hollows existed in Hueco Mundo._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Within Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Deep inside the colossal palace past the large walls, Ichigo and his entourage quickly arrived in what he could only describe as some type of roofless dome like amphitheater. It's sheer size was monumental and from the stands he could see thousands of hollows, primarily common ones and Adjuchas. The chanting was nearly deafening as they continued to pound the ground rhythmically.

"Is this a coliseum?" Menoly spoke up shocked.

Ichigo arrival went unnoticed at first, as he and his followers walked further along to what appeared to be a ridiculously large throne at the far wall of the titanic coliseum. Ichigo quickly shut the crowd up when he charged a cero between his horns and fired it directly at the throne where an impatient Barragan was seated.

The bony Skeleton Lord quickly drew his axe and cut the cero in half sending both halves erupting into the distance, greatly damaging the walls and landscape behind him. One random Adjucha in the crowd was quick to state the obvious, "It's White! He's Here!"

The crowd exploded into excitement as they began to howl and cheer in bloodlust. Their excitement was immediately silenced when Barragan raised a hand, "Quiet!"

Dead silence followed his command as Barragan and Ichigo stared each other down for a brief moment. The King of Hueco Mundo was quick to notice Ichigo's followers and scoffed, "Bah…it figures Harribel would choose to support you over me. Is this the extent of your spitefulness, Harribel? Or are you looking to insult me more?"

"I already told you that I wasn't interested in working for you," the blonde Vasto Lorde announced.

Barragan grunted, "And yet it would seem, you now work for White…how amusing. I had heard the rumors, but I didn't believe they were true until now. So, you've finally become a Vasto Lorde, White, and now you fancy yourself my equal?"

"I came here to defeat you, and to lay to rest any doubt that I am the strongest hollow in Hueco Mundo!" Ichigo growled. His exclamation excited the crowd causing an uproar of cheering.

Barragan waved his hand to quiet them down after a moment and chuckled, "If I recall correctly, you ran away, the last time we fought. Your threat is as hollow as the hole in your chest."

"I'm here now…and I'm calling you out. Let's put this little vendetta to rest shall we?" Ichigo said darkly.

Barragan was quick to land down beneath his throne and in the massive open arena below. The King looked over at Starrk and Lilynette amused, "So you've picked up some strays I see. What are those broken masked hollows?"

"They're Arrancars…and they work for me," Ichigo answered. His comment seemed to intrigue the crowd which was now gossiping like crazy.

The King noticed Ulquiorra and couldn't help but cock his head, "What's that there? One of the pit dwellers? I've never seen one like that before…hmm, you've gathered some interesting allies, White. And are these your Adjuchas? This is rather pitiful. You think that uniting two Vasto Lordes, a few Arrancars and this pathetic assembly of Adjuchas is enough to challenge me?! I'm insulted, truly! I don't even need my army to defeat you and all of your minions!"

His comment greatly angered Ichigo, causing his spiritual power to rise, tremendously. It greatly frightened the crowd who all shut up and watched fearfully. Both of his sword arms shot out as he yelled loudly, "Then we're going to settle this, right here and now! I challenge you for your throne and the lordship of Hueco Mundo!"

"You haven't the gall to fight me alone…is that why you assembled these other Vasto Lordes? Were you too frightened to face your fate?" Barragan taunted.

Ichigo looked back at his allies, "I'll fight him alone. Everyone get back."

"That's suicide, White…I know you're strong, but you can't count on Barragan to fight fair," Harribel objected.

"Do as he says…if he truly wishes to earn the respect of Hueco Mundo then he has no choice," Starrk cut in.

Each of the Adjuchas had their own protests, but all of them fell on deaf ears as Ichigo shot them a sharp look, "Everyone get out of the arena…"

"Be careful…" Harribel said somewhat concerned as she led the Adjuchas away. Starrk had to practically drag Lilynette to the stands, who seemed intent on helping Ichigo somehow.

This left only Ulquiorra. The mouth less green eyed hollow did not leave much to Ichigo's surprise. He turned towards his silent companion briefly. He didn't say anything as he and Ulquiorra locked a brief gaze.

Barragan was quick to interrupt their moment of silence, "Those pit dwellers aren't Menos hollows. They don't belong on the surface or under the moonlight of my rule. I've never seen one like that before though…usually their kind don't stray far from the darkness. It's mere presence in my palace is insulting."

Ulquiorra simply directed a stoic look at Barragan, but Ichigo on the other hand was infuriated by the comment, "He's not one of them! He's one of us! I'll give you something to feel insulted over when I strip you of your title!"

Barragan laughed at him, "You have truly earned my ire, White. Never has any hollow gone to such lengths to denounce my supreme authority over our kind."

"Get back…he's mine!" Ichigo spoke to Ulquiorra finally convincing the mouthless pale hollow to move towards the rest of Ichigo's group, who had found themselves a front row seat thanks to a bit of intimidation.

Barragan lifted his axe up high and spoke assuredly, "Come and show me just how powerful you think you are, White!"

Before Ichigo could mouth a response, a blue blur smashed down next to them. Both Ichigo and Barragan looked over surprised to see a blue haired Vasto Lorde. He had a very familiar appearance, and after examining his ears, and feline features, Ichigo quickly realized who it was, "Grimmjow?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but you two aren't the only contenders to be King of Hueco Mundo!" Grimmjow roared.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Okay so maybe this chapter isn't what you were expecting. Sorry to delay the battle until next chapter, but I felt it necessary to cover some other side stuff regarding Ichigo's family first. Anyways, the whole dynamic of Isshin and Masaki's powers has always made me wonder if Yuzu and Karin were like Ichigo in some way. I chose to explore that route and give it an interesting twist by sending them all three different ways. Ichigo is a hollow, Karin is a Shinigami, and Yuzu is a Quincy.

Of course that's just the start…you never know what my crazy self will come up with next. Also, the Quinces are a thing in this story…confirmed. Some people had been asking about them, so yeah. We got a glimpse at our first Sternritter...good ole Candice. So much stuff is about to happen…Next chapter is going to be a showdown.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Light in the Darkness**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, within Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Barragan's posture visibly tensed as he looked over at the new arrival. The ferocious, blue haired, Vasto Lorde was quite the sight to see. Ichigo could sense a tremendous difference in the former panther's power level compared to his previous encounter.

The bony skeleton hollow cackled at Grimmjow, "Who are you to so brazenly interrupt my altercation with White?"

"The name's Grimmjow…and I'm here for the throne. There can only be one King in this barren wasteland and that's me!" the furious hollow shouted. Everyone in the stands watched with anticipation to see Ichigo and Barragan's reactions.

Ichigo cocked his head, "I figured you'd show up eventually…but I didn't expect this. Stand down Grimmjow. I don't want to fight you. This is between Barragan and myself."

"No, White! You can't deny me this! I am a Vasto Lorde!" Grimmjow shouted. Ichigo's companions seemed surprised by the arrival of the other hollow.

"Who in the world is that?" Apacci mouthed off wondering if Harribel knew.

The blonde shrugged, "I don't know…but he clearly knows White."

"How do you not know who he is?! That's Grimmjow! The uncrowned King!" a random nearby Adjucha cut in.

Loly and Menoly traded looks for a moment, "Never heard of him before…"

"I have…he's a former panther Adjucha," a Sabertooth Adjucha interrupted. Ichigo's party turned their gaze towards the Sabertooth curiously.

The feline glanced between the three Vasto Lordes below and Ichigo's followers, "Grimmjow is a dangerous renegade…we've been after him for a long time. I had no idea he achieved Vasto Lorde. Even still…neither he nor White stand a chance against his majesty."

"That's awfully bold of you to assume," Menoly said dryly, "from what I understand, you guys are scared of White."

"Perhaps the lesser Adjuchas are, but I have no doubt in my mind that King Barragan is the mightiest hollow in Hueco Mundo. He called everyone here just to prove that once and for all. These aren't the first Vasto Lordes to challenge him…but they will be the last," The sabertooth said arrogantly.

Harribel glared at the large cat icily, "I suggest you back off…"

Her rising spiritual pressure greatly alarmed the nearby Adjuchas who immediately distanced themselves further. The Sabertooh backed away without trying to look nervous, "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

After Ggio left, Sung-sun looked at her mistress, "Do you have that much faith in White's abilities my lady?"

Harribel glanced over at the snake, "He's been holding his power back to avoid hurting any of you. None of us have ever seen his full power…so yes I believe he will fare well."

Starrk and Lilynette looked at each other somewhat concerned. The small blonde frowned, "He's done what?"

The other Arrancar thought for a moment, '_Is that how he's been able to mingle with weaker hollows? It's strange that our presence isn't affecting any of these Adjuchas or the crowd._'

"Maybe that attack he used against us did something to help us control our power?" Starrk theorized.

Harribel glanced over at the Arrancar, "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing…I'll talk to him about it after this," Starrk replied.

"You think he will win too?" Sung-sun asked surprised.

The Arrancar shrugged, "Well if he wants to unite Hueco Mundo, he doesn't have a choice. White seems like a pretty determined hollow. I doubt he'll fail."

"His name's Ichigo, Starrk…maybe you should use it!" Lilynette said annoyed.

"Shut up, they're talking down there!" Loly hissed as she turned her gaze back down below.

Barragan laughed at Grimmjow, "Your name has no meaning to me, fool…no doubt you've been wallowing in the sand hiding beneath my gaze. A whelp like you could never be King…neither could White. None will ever surpass my power. I've ruled here longer than any hollow alive can remember!"

"Whelp?! You're going to regret saying that! Listen up, everyone! I started from the bottom of this hole and now I'm here! Neither you, nor White, can deny me this right, Barragan! I'll prove to everyone here that I deserve to be King! I'll defeat both of you at once!" Grimmjow announced loudly. His fearlessness greatly excited the crowd which erupted into a storm of cheers and approvingly howls.

"The name Grimmjow won't be remembered after I erase you from existence!" Barragan said darkly.

"We'll see about that, you damned bastard!" Grimmjow wasted no time going in for an attack. He swiftly clawed Barragan delivering a powerful slash with a bladed extension from his elbow. It seemed to catch the King by surprise, and managed to inflict some damage.

The crowd watched with disbelief as Barragan looked down as his injured side with fury. The Skeleton Vasto Lorde turned towards Grimmjow hatefully, "That will be the last mistake you ever make, fool!"

"Hahaha! Who's going to forget my name?! Who's going to stand on top of this world!?" the blue haired beast laughed.

"Grimmjow, Grimmjow, Grimmjow!" the crowd began to chant as the new arrival had gained a lot of favor from his epic proclamation of victory.

"White, White, White!" Menoly started. At first it was only her, but a large portion of the crowd, especially the ones nearby, quickly joined in. Harribel glanced around at the crowd curiously, '_I had no idea, White had this many supporters here…_'

Ggio, turned towards his fellow elite guards, "C'mon, show your support for the one true King! Barragan, Barragan, Barragan!"

A large red bird Adjucha nearby flew up and caught part of the audience's attention, "Don't be impressed by these pretenders! King Barragan is invincible! Barragan, Barragan!"

The bird Adjucha flew along the stands and caught the attention of many in the crowd. Now the audience was chanting three different names, each trying to outdo the others.

Barragan growled angrily as he held his hand up to the crowd, "SILENCE!" His eruption of spiritual power terrified the majority of the crowd who immediately shut up. Harribel raised a brow at the rising power, "Barragan's angry…this is going to be bad. I've seen what he can do."

"C'mon bitch! I don't have all day!" Grimmjow grinned maniacally.

His amusement was short lived, when the Skeleton Lord moved at incredible speed swinging his axe. Grimmjow narrowly ducked and flipped back to dodge an incoming barrage of attacks. At first he seemed to have the upper hand. The feline Vasto Lorde continued to evade Barragan's swings as he went in for another sweep.

Unfortunately, his attack never made contact, as Ichigo intercepted him with a powerful charge. The orange haired hollow blocked both of their weapons and swung back launching both enemies away from each other. The blackened red energy now spilling from Ichigo's blades greatly surprised both Grimmjow and Barragan who each stopped for a brief moment.

Ichigo looked between them and shook his head, "You're going to regret interfering, Grimmjow…"

The blue creature glared at Ichigo angrily, "You still think you're better than me huh?! We're all Vasto Lordes here! The pinnacle of hollow evolution! What makes you think you're stronger than either one of us?"

"I'll show you…" Ichigo replied darkly.

With a double crossed arc, he blasted a wave of black energy at both opponents. Grimmjow avoided it, but Barragan decided to parry as he charged his axe and cut through it. The display greatly impressed the crowd who all cheered at the sheer power they were witnessing. The remnants of the attack flew past part of the stands slicing their way into the distance.

Barragan's spiritual pressure continued to rise as a familiar corrosive miasma began to pour from his body. Many hollows in the audience were well aware of this ability which was what Barragan was most feared for. It channeled over his axe as he gripped the weapon tightly. "I will turn you both into dust!"

With a heavy swing he unleashed the miasma against Grimmjow. At first it seemed to be effecting him as the creature's skin began to flake. However, the effects were short lived once Grimmjow unleashed more power dissipating the cloud around them.

Grimmjow roared as the blue energy erupted from his body. The ground shook as he launched a sound wave from his mere scream. Barragan's Miasma immediately thinned out and faded as Grimmjow's blue aura warded him. The blue beast laughed at Barragan's reaction, "What's the matter, bones? You didn't think I'd be that easy to kill did you?! Your in for a big surprise!"

Barragan stood there with a seething anger evident in his posture. The King held up his axe to the sky, "I will show you why this palace was named after the night. Behold the true power of your God-King!"

From his axe, Barragan released a blast of blackened purple energy which completely covered the sky. With the moon's light no longer shining, everything turned much darker as Barragan then levitated off the ground. From the massive dark cloud he had conjured, a collection of spiraling energy shot back into his colossal axe. It now glowed brighter than anything present in the black purple aura.

An eruption of similar power exploded forth from his body causing the ground to shake and the air to grow heavier. Any Adjuchas that had been standing, immediately fell to their knees from the sheer, overwhelming rise in power.

Barragan stared at his two challengers intensely, "This is real power!"

The majority of Ichigo's companions, minus Ulquiorra, Starrk and Harribel were shaking with fear. The overwhelming reiatsu was drowning them in pressure. Harribel's eyes widened considerably, "His power is definitely no myth…"

Ulquiorra looked up into the sky with wide eyes, '_The moon…it's gone. It's so dark now…_'

"What the hell is this?! You think I'm impressed by your power? Maybe it's about time you got a full taste of mine!" Grimmjow countered immediately unleashing all of his restrained energy. Like a blue explosion, his spiritual power amplified considerably.

Ichigo looked around for a brief moment, noticing the effects this had on the crowd. The vast majority of the audience couldn't even move from the unbearable pressure of two fully powered Vasto Lordes.

He took a deep breath before holding both arm blades out to his side. Grimmjow and Barragan both stared at him eagerly awaiting Ichigo to let go of his restraints. Pale red energy surged from his body as he howled into the sky.

Pure terror was the only thing that could describe the audience's reaction. Starrk, Ulquiorra, and Harribel all went wide eyed as the combined spiritual pressure from the three Vasto Lordes was now affecting them. Every Adjucha or weaker hollow was having trouble breathing as the deafening howl and rising power was near unbearable.

"Yes! Hahaha! Finally!" Grimmjow growled eagerly as he stared at Ichigo with a malicious bloodlust. Barragan glanced between the two adversaries for a moment and clutched his axe tighter, "You have grown strong, White…but not strong enough!"

Both Ichigo and Grimmjow turned their attention forward as they took fighting stances to prepare for the incoming attack. Barragan flew towards them like a storm of death. He wildly smashed and cleaved against both hollows with his massive axe. The force behind it was almost enough to break through Ichigo's guard. He parried the swings as quickly and powerfully as he could, but Barragan's berserker swings seemed to increase in speed the longer he continued. Red spiritual energy clashed with the blackened purple igniting the arena into a lightshow.

With each parry or block, a resounding boom was followed by crumbling ground. To the audience above, it was like watching gods fighting.

Ichigo narrowly ducked a huge swing which cut down a massive pillar behind him. Taking a moment to recover, he leapt back and contemplated how to take Barragan down. His respite didn't last long as Grimmjow had immediately seized the opportunity to flank him.

The former panther managed to catch him off guard as his bladed elbow left a huge gash across his side. Ichigo didn't have time to look at the wound as he now stood between Barragan and Grimmjow. Each foe fought at different speeds, making it nearly impossible for him to effectively fight both at once. Barragan's powerful attacks were almost impossible to stop without both swords, which left him open to Grimmjow.

Deciding to take a risk, Ichigo used a sonido to appear behind Grimmjow. The blue haired hollow moved like lightning as he reared back to cut Ichigo. Thinking fast, Ichigo blocked both of Grimmjow's bladed extensions with his own sword arms and held them up.

Grimmjow tried to push against him, but was unable to as Ichigo swiftly high kicked him straight towards Barragan. The fearsome King cleaved the incoming Grimmjow with tremendous force sending him flying into a wall.

The devastating attack was followed by a large arced red beam of energy. Ichigo's eyes widened as Barragan turned towards him and twirled his axe in a flurry of swings. Each one launched wave after wave of red energy similar to Ichigo's own sword attacks.

Ichigo charged his blades and countered each wave with blackened red waves of his own. Barragan chuckled at his efforts, "For a hollow of such infamy, you are more disappointing than I expected."

The King quickly followed up by unleashing a huge purple wave at Ichigo. The orange haired hollow charged a red white cero between his horns to counter it. As the wave collided with Ichigo's cero, he was shocked to see the wave cut straight through his attack.

He held up both sword arms and braced for the wave to make contact. As it did, he felt himself get pushed back considerably. By the time he finally managed to cut through it, he was met with a devastating uppercut from Barragan's axe.

As the weapon sliced against him, Ichigo was launched into the sky. Before he had time to recover or stop, Barragan held his free hand up causing the dark cloud to engulf Ichigo entirely. The sky began to glow in the eerie purplish black as it shaped into the form of a bony hand. The cloud hand of spiritual energy squeezed tightly before throwing Ichigo back towards the ground.

During his descent, he managed to regain his bearings and flew in towards Barragan who simply stood there with a bony grin. Ichigo never made it in time as a blue blur blindsided him. Grimmjow jabbed one of his claws straight through Ichigo as he pinned him against an opposite wall.

The audience watched with suspense, as Grimmjow pulled his hand back and began to rapidly punch and claw White. Ichigo stabbed through Grimmjow's arms after several moments much to the other hollow's shock.

He stared at Grimmjow with an evident fury in his golden black eyes, "My turn…" A white-red crackle of energy began to swell between Ichigo's horns as he held both of Grimmjow's arms still with his swords.

Before he could react fast enough, Grimmjow was blasted away at point blank range by Ichigo's cero.

The audience gasped as the cero continued firing despite the fact that Grimmjow was now out of sight. The streaming cero aimed down as it sliced through a part of the stands. Many hollows barely managed to move in time to avoid the beam cutting their part of the coliseum.

The beam now focused on Barragan, who was shocked by the sheer force behind it. He grabbed his axe with both hands to block the beam and struggled. Then much to his horror, the white-red cero turned black as well. The mixture of the three colors caused the cero to become denser. Not only that, but its magnitude practically doubled as it crushed Barragan under the weight of Ichigo's power.

'_What is this?! How can his cero be this powerful?!_' Barragan thought in disbelief as he was forced to fly up to avoid the unusual cero. It blew away the now empty part of the coliseum and fired into the distance before exploding. The shockwave from the explosion not only caused an earthquake, but also seemed to set the sky on fire. Between the dark cloud of Barragan's power and the burning aftermath of Ichigo's, there was a hellish ambience in the air.

"What's the matter? Can't block my cero anymore?" Ichigo taunted with an almost evil laugh. His tone sounded much darker than before which greatly alarmed his friends. Starrk stared at Ichigo concerned, "What was that just now?"

"I don't know, I just thought his swords used that black spiritual energy. I had no idea his cero could as well," Harribel noted.

"Ichigo looks scary…" Menoly said fearfully as she noticed the wicked look in his eyes. Apacci and Loly traded brief looks of concern. Mila Rose was speechless, and Lilynette appeared to be shaking.

Sung-sun nervously glanced over at Harribel, "Mistress…I-is he going to be okay?"

"I've seen him like this before…" Apacci cut in as she stared at Ichigo worried, "it's when his instincts take over."

"S-starrk…wha-what was that?!" Lilynette asked her friend horrified. The aftermath of Ichigo's attack was not only indescribably destructive, but it also evoked a near panic in the audience. Nevertheless, they remained frozen under the pressure of the Vasto Lordes' power.

The brown haired Arrancar shook his head, "I don't know…but something is different about him. That look in his eyes seems dangerous."

Ichigo cracked his neck as he began to walk closer towards the center of the arena, looking up at Barragan. The King wasted no time gathering his power as Ichigo charged another cero between his horns. This time, his cero was twice the size of the previous one.

"I'll show you real power!" Barragan hissed angrily as he circled his axe over his head. The dark clouds began to channel power into his axe through what appeared to be a vortex of some kind. As both hollows released their attacks, the audience trembled in terror. Those that could move, ducked down attempting to take cover as the two powers collided.

Both attacks were deadlocked for a moment until Barragan managed to see Ichigo add his sword swings into the mix. He held his free hand up back to the sky and formed another massive fist out of it. Barragan immediately sent it down to engulf Ichigo.

However, much to this disbelief, the power behind Ichigo's attack instantly vanished. Before he could realize what had happened, Barragan felt a black blade stab through him from behind. With his other sword, Ichigo swung for the King's head, sending him spinning towards the ground along with a wave of black sword energy. Ichigo began to laugh maniacally shortly afterward as he looked down towards Barragan's crash site.

"White!" Grimmjow roared at loudly as he could. Ichigo turned towards the returned blue Vasto Lorde. Grimmjow was covered in burns and many wounds, no doubt inflicted by Ichigo's point blank cero. The feline Vasto Lorde panted and heaved heavily as he clutched his clawed fists tightly.

Ichigo said nothing as he stared down the opposing hollow with an evil glare. "I'm through holding back…if it takes every last ounce of strength I have then so be it! I will defeat you! Get ready to die!"

His claws glowed blue as huge, bladed extensions shot out of them. It wasn't much different than what he had taught Menoly. Ichigo watched him cautiously as Grimmjow reared both arms back, "Let's see if you can stop this!"

Swinging both arms forward, Grimmjow's huge claw extensions carved through the air. Their speed was so intense that it caused a high pitched grinding sound as if he was cutting through the spiritual energy in the air. Ichigo countered with two slashes from his black swords both of which managed to intersect into a massive x shaped arc.

Much to his surprise, Grimmjow's claws cut through them and came straight for him. Ichigo held up both blades to block the claws which impacted with extreme force. Sparks visibly flew off his blades as Ichigo tried to push Grimmjow back. Then much to his disbelief, Grimmjow straightened his claws into one direction firing all of them into one concentrated cero. As it blasted into him, Ichigo immediately felt a clawed swipe from behind sending him crashing into the ground.

He managed to land on his feet, and quickly rebounded off the ground as he flew back towards Grimmjow. The blue beast spun a wild kick at him sending Ichigo barreling into a wall. Grimmjow's successful attacks were short lived as his enemy immediately came back for more.

With all the agility he could muster, Grimmjow tried to fake Ichigo out as he flew in for a clash. At the last second he spun behind the orange haired hollow and tried to kick him. Unfortunately for him, Ichigo managed to catch his foot.

With his other one he kicked up and attempted to backflip away. He wasn't even mid flip before Ichigo slashed his side and kicked him higher into the air. Ichigo charged another cero between his horns as Grimmjow continued to fly upward.

He barely managed to recover in time to fire two of his own ceros down at Ichigo's. Despite the power of Ichigo's special cero, Grimmjow managed to halt it long enough to get out of its way. The blinding light gave him a moment of opportunity as he dove back down towards his foe.

With his elbow braced, a huge blue extension came out of his blade. Much to his excitement, it managed to hit Ichigo, but the other Hollow's blade also hit him. The two carved against each other with a powerful slash bolting towards opposite ends of the arena again.

Grimmjow panted heavily as he looked down to see blood gushing from his freshly inflicted would. Ichigo had actually used both blades against him. Grimmjow barely managed to catch his breath as blood continued to pour from his wounds.

Much to his relief, his attack appeared to have done some damage to Ichigo as well. Although at this point he was starting to doubt his former attack was worth the damage he had just endured.

His wounds slowly began to heal as Ichigo stood there completely stoic. Grimmjow glared at him hatefully, "What are you waiting for?! Come and get me!"

Before he could even finish his shout, Ichigo had impaled him against the wall with one of his swords. He wasted no time pulling it out as he turned towards an incoming Barragan. The mad king was definitely a sight to see. His entire body was radiating pure power. The King used both hands as he swung his axe down towards Ichigo at unbelievable speed.

During this time, Grimmjow slid down the wall and felt his vision darkening as the two hollows continued fighting each other. The young Vasto Lorde shook with anger as he managed to stand up, "You both think you've defeated me?! My life won't end like this!"

Both Ichigo and Barragan both looked down just in time to see a blue blur launch towards them. With both arms extended, Grimmjow cut both foes flying between them. He blinked around the two of them at impossible speeds as he fought with the last of his strength. He managed to inflict several critical attacks against Barragan as he repeatedly clawed the King like a mad beast.

After enduring a great deal of damage, Barragan finally managed to brute force him to the ground with a powerful swing of his axe. During his moment of distraction, Barragan was unable to avoid Ichigo's swords which both impaled him.

Despite his predicament, Barragan brought his axe down attempting to decapitate Ichigo whose swords were indisposed. Expecting this reaction, Ichigo pulled back both swords and kicked Barragan with his legs. A furious blue flash added a combo as Grimmjow swept a downward claw imbedding Barragan into the ground below.

Turning back towards Ichigo he held out both arms again. This time claws, and elbow extensions formed. They swung at Ichigo with even more force than last time. Ichigo had no choice but to block them with his swords, which is exactly what Grimmjow wanted.

He pulled back one claw and spun around in an opposite twirl managing to impaled Ichigo from behind with it. Seizing his opportunity, Grimmjow flew in closer. Thinking fast, Ichigo jabbed both blades through the nearest claw and sliced through the entire thing as Grimmjow got closer.

Desperate to keep his swords busy, Grimmjow focused the remaining four of his free hand around him. Despite his best efforts, Ichigo continued to cut through them. Finally within range, Grimmjow hooked his arm across attempting to slice Ichigo's midsection.

Ichigo narrowly managed to rip his swords out in time as he parried the bladed extension. The claws sticking through Ichigo's back quickly shattered as his black spiritual energy amplified. Bringing up his other arm Grimmjow furiously tried to push back.

Both were interlocked for a moment, before Ichigo pulled one blade back and attempted to impale the blue haired hollow. Luckily, Grimmjow was fast enough to move one of his blades to misdirect it. Now with each having one interlocked arm and one free, they pushed hard whilst simultaneously slashing with the other.

Grimmjow's nimble movements allowed him to avoid the one sword, but he knew he couldn't outlast Ichigo in a strength battle. Before either foe could break the deadlock, an eruption of purplish black energy flew at them.

They each raised their interlocked blades to stop Barragan's smashing axe. Ichigo looked between the two of them and growled, "You can never be stronger…"

Before he knew what was happening Grimmjow felt himself being flaked off as Ichigo swung both sword arms as hard as possible at Barragan. The crowd gasped as it disarmed the King sending his axe into the ground.

"You can never be faster…" Ichigo continued as he appeared behind Grimmjow with a sonido. He delivered a deadly slash across Grimmjow's chest immediately following up with a high kick. Grimmjow went flying into the air shortly thereafter.

"You can never win…" Ichigo finished as he receded one of his sword arms and punched Grimmjow back towards the ground. Upon his collision, Ichigo turned towards Barragan with pure killer instinct.

The King tried to recover his axe, but was unable to as Ichigo grabbed it first. Barragan stood there with disbelief as Ichigo grinned cruelly at him. "I am the King…"

"Damn you! You will not defeat me!" Barragan proclaimed as he attempted to grab Ichigo's arms. Realizing his mistake too late, Barragan saw Ichigo charge another cero between his horns. He attempted to let go, but quickly found himself impaled against a wall by his own axe.

"I already have…" Ichigo said as he fired his cero at the pinned King. Another large portion of the audience fled either direction as the black red and white cero blasted out of Las Noches into the distance. Afterward, the audience stared in pure disbelief as Barragan was gone.

Ichigo turned back towards the downed Grimmjow with an calm, but terrifying look in his eyes. Grimmjow barely managed to stand up as he wheezed for a moment. He stumbled forward as he tried to reach Ichigo.

The orange haired hollow slowly walked towards him. Ichigo briefly swung his sword back behind himself. Everyone in the stands stared shocked at the sight of a gravely wounded Barragan, now with a sword at his bony neck.

Barragan barely had enough strength left to move as Ichigo immediately stabbed the blade through his chest. Barragan dropped to his knees clearly in defeat as Ichigo pulled out his sword. The orange haired hollow receded his remaining blade and looked at both of his defeated enemies.

Grimmjow tried his best to charge again, but tripped halfway and fell to his knees as well. Both he and Barragan each felt Ichigo grab them by their throats. The victorious hollow held both off the ground as he examined the fearful, recovering crowd. The audience now appeared to be able to move as the power level of the three foes receded.

"Kill them! KILL KILL KILL!" One hollow shouted enthusiastically from the stands. He was a praying mantis Adjucha of some kind and had a front row spot. The audience quickly joined in on his chanting all wanting White to finish the job.

"Kill! KILL KILL KILL KILL!" they chanted over and over again as Grimmjow and Barragan weakly hung limp in his grasp. Harribel traded a concerned look with Starrk who wasn't sure what Ichigo was going to do.

Time all but seemed to stop as Ichigo turned a hateful gaze upon his defeated foes. Clarity returned to him as he stared at them, '_Should I kill them?_'

All of Ichigo's adjuchas joined in chanting with the audience as well. They were excited by his victory and wanted to see Ichigo seal the deal. Barragan barely managed to speak, "It seems no King rules forever…"

Grimmjow barely managed to clutch onto Ichigo's grasping hand as the new King flew higher to where the entire audience could see him. The blackened cloud created by Barragan began to disappear as a streak of moonlight shined over Ichigo further signifying his might.

"Lord Barragan!" Ggio gulped fearfully as he watched from the stands concerned. Grimmjow's followers all had similar reactions, especially Shaw Long.

"KILL KILL KILL!" The audience continued to chant.

Grimmjow tried to squeeze Ichigo's wrist catching his attention. The blue eyed beast glared at him with his remaining energy, "I hate you! Why…why can't I beat you?! Why?! WHY!? Damn you, White!"

Ichigo stared at the two of them with a look of seriousness in his eyes, "You are strong Grimmjow…one of the strongest I've ever known. As are you, Barragan. You're both Kings in your own right…and I respect you as formidable Vasto Lordes."

"You don't deny me as King?" Barragan asked uncertainly.

"You are both Kings…but I am the King of Kings," Ichigo replied causing both foes to look at him shocked.

"What are you waiting for?!" the rabid praying mantis Adjucha shouted, "Kill those weaklings! KILL THEM!"

"Kill us now…you won't have another chance! You will not be King so long as I live!" Barragan added loudly enough for the audience to hear.

"NO!" Ichigo roared back causing the audience to immediately shut up. They all stared wide eyed as Ichigo landed back on the ground letting go of both Grimmjow and Barragan. Ichigo glanced around at the amphitheater of hollows before turning his gaze back towards the gravely injured Vasto Lordes.

Ichigo stared at the two of them for a moment and hissed, "You're both blind idiots…we shouldn't be fighting each other!"

His comment greatly confused the crowd as well as Barragan and Grimmjow. They both had looks of uncertainty. Barragan was the first to speak, "Is that not what the point of his duel was? To decide the Kingship of all our kind?"

"That was the point of this…I have considered killing both of you, but that would be a waste. Gathered here in this palace are all of the strongest hollows in existence. We need to unite with one another! Our real enemies are those that hunt and kill our kind. They sit in their precious little Soul Society passing judgment on us for existing. Their arrogance makes my blood boil. How long will it be before they come here to declare war against our kind? I've seen Shinigami captains cut waves of hollows down like nothing. They do not fear us! They believe we are weak, scattered, and broken! They deny us life! I will not allow that to go unpunished any longer! The Shinigami are the true enemies of our kind and they are very powerful! Never have any of our kind united to stop them! We go on fighting each other over scraps of fame and power! That ends now! We will protect our own…and retaliate with the full power of Hueco Mundo! All Shinigami will tremble in fear as Hueco Mundo stands united under their King of Kings! I will rip this world out of the darkness! Together we will forge a new Hueco Mundo!" Ichigo proclaimed loudly.

"White! WHITE WHITE WHITE!" The crowd began to cheer enthusiastically. Ichigo extended his hands down towards Grimmjow and Barragan.

Both of which could barely believe the gesture. Barragan seemed somewhat impressed by his declaration of war, "I had no idea you hated Shinigami so much…I loathe their kind as well."

"Take my hand…join me, Barragan," Ichigo said causing the former King to stare at him for a long moment.

Barragan simply cackled weakly, "Never in all these years, did I anticipate this…a hollow greater than myself succeeding where I failed."

Much to the audience's disbelief, Barragan accepted Ichigo's hand. The orange haired hollow pulled Barragan up and nodded approvingly, "I'm glad we have an understanding…"

"You know…I tried what you're doing once…a long time ago. The only difference is, you spared your enemy."

"I wouldn't mind hearing that story later…" Ichigo replied. Barragan grunted painfully as he stumbled away. Ggio and several of his elite guards quickly jumped down to support him from falling again. They all glanced over at Ichigo surprised by his action more than anyone else.

Ggio slowly approached and quickly announced to the audience, "All hail the High King White!"

Shortly afterward he bowed his head at Ichigo before leaving to go help Barragan.

Grimmjow weakly sat up and glared at Ichigo distrustfully, "Why are you sparing me? I don't want your pity! Just kill me…I will not endure your mercy again! No matter how hard I worked…all of it means nothing. I can never surpass you…"

Ichigo extended his hand again, "Power means nothing without purpose. That's why you lost. You have no purpose, Grimmjow…even with all the power in the world, you'll never quench the emptiness without a heart."

"A…heart?" Grimmjow asked uncertainly.

From the stands, Ulquiorra watched intently. He was deeply inspired by Ichigo's actions, but did not visibly show it.

"We'll find it together…all of us, as friends," Ichigo said distantly.

The word echoed in his head over and over again, '_Friends? What? I don't understand…_'

"Grimmjow needs motivation…" Ichigo spoke to the crowd. They immediately began to chant, "Grimmjow, Grimmjow, Grimmjow!"

The former panther couldn't describe the unusual feeling swelling in the pit of his stomach. He was deeply moved for some reason by Ichigo's words. Finally, giving into the crowd's chanting, he reached up and grabbed Ichigo's hand.

The two hollows stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment. The blue haired beast couldn't help but smile, "Friends…"

The crowd exploded into cheers as Grimmjow held up Ichigo's arm, "Bow to the King of Kings! White!"

Many in the audience jumped down out of the stands and came to get a closer look. Normally an adjucha wouldn't be reckless enough to approach a Vasto Lorde, but the crowd was too excited to care as they gathered around the duo.

Grimmjow looked around, "Where'd Barragan go?"

"I'm right here…" the former King announced as he approached Ichigo. Starrk, Harribel, Lilynette, and Ulquiorra all swiftly landed there as well. The five Adjucha girls managed to catch up shortly thereafter.

"So…White…what should we do about the Shinigami?" Barragan asked with an evident curiosity in his voice.

"We're going to train a new army…" Ichigo replied as he looked over the crowd.

The praying mantis Adjucha was the first to come forth as he bowed briefly, "Allow me to be the first volunteer for your new army, White!"

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked the praying mantis interested.

"Nnoitra Gilga…" the hollow answered beaming with eagerness to prove himself.

An unusual tentacle like Adjucha was quick to move forth as well, "If you're seeking the best, then I believe I should introduce myself."

Everyone eyed the Adjucha uncertainly. Grimmjow narrowed his gaze at it, "You don't look that impressive to me…"

Ichigo held up his hand, "It doesn't matter how strong you are now…I will train all who are willing to become my honor guards."

"It would be my greatest pleasure!" the tentacle adjucha said cheerfully.

"What's your name, anyways?" Apacci asked the tentacle adjucha doubtfully.

"Luppi…and I promise you, my skill in battle will not disappoint, High King White," the adjucha sassed.

Ichigo nodded, "Alright…anyone else care to volunteer?"

One by one many Adjuchas came up and vowed to serve as his honor guards. Amongst them were several that stood out. A colorful butterfly like Adjucha with strange plant features spoke with adoration, "I'm Szayel…and I would be honored to be whatever you want me to be."

"Good to know…" Ichigo nodded.

"Anything!" the adjucha added for emphasis.

The orange haired King nodded, "I'll keep that in mind…"

A multiple eyed fiendish looking Adjucha with some type of pink body was another one that stood out. It closed its eyes and bowed respectfully, "You are without equal my King…I, Zommari, would be honored to serve."

After the brief influx of hollows declaring loyalty, Ichigo turned towards his companions. Harribel had a gleaming look in her eyes. It was one he had never seen before. She seemed to be impressed and pleased.

She waved her hand catching the nearby hollows' attention, "I would like to speak with White alone now…"

"Stop standing around and get this palace repaired!" Barragan commanded as he got the crowd to scatter and go to work. Afterward, he glanced back at Ichigo, "Come find me in the main tower later…and we will discuss strategy."

Without another word, Barragan left, followed by his entourage of Adjuchas. Grimmjow's followers had finally made their way through the crowd and gathered around. Shaw Long looked at Grimmjow surprised, '_Never in my wildest imaginations could I have foreseen Grimmjow swallowing his pride…White's words must truly resonate with him_.'

"Well I'm going to get some rest…I guess I'll join you two in that tower meeting later," Grimmjow said as he began to walk away. Before he got too far, he glanced back at Ichigo with a small grin, "I guess you really are the King…haha. No, the High King."

Ulquiorra watched all of the different hollows offering their praise or adoration for Ichigo's remarkable feat at uniting the Vasto Lordes. He examined the retreating Grimmjow and Barragan closely, '_For White to have reached them…he truly does want to help other hollows. This feeling…what is it?_'

Upon looking up at the moon and back down at Ichigo, Ulquiorra felt a strange feeling, '_I feel less despair whenever he is around…It's as if I can see for the first time. What does the future hold for us?_'

Noticing his stares, Ichigo made eye contact with Ulquiorra. Their locked gazes were like a moment frozen in time. It was almost narcotic…Ulquiorra couldn't look away. It was hard for him to understand why Ichigo was this way. Nothing else in all of Hueco Mundo valued others the way he did. Ulquiorra wished he could understand Ichigo's empathy.

'_He doesn't even know my name…yet he knows me. A being of darkness…enthralled by his guiding light. He is more than a King amongst hollows…he is a Light in our Darkness_.' Ulquiorra thought deeply.

He was drawn from his thoughts when Ichigo placed a hand on his shoulder, "Thanks for standing back…I know it's difficult to do nothing sometimes. I am grateful for your loyalty…I only wish I knew your name."

Ulquiorra stared at him sadly not sure how to react to his comment. "One day though…" Ichigo said distantly.

Harribel quickly interrupted their moment shortly afterward, "If you're done staring at him…I would like to talk to you."

The dark haired, mouthless hollow gave Harribel a disapproving glare for interrupting Ichigo.

"Sure thing, Harribel…speak your mind," Ichigo replied.

The blonde looked at Ichigo and back towards the dissipating crowd with a deep expression, "I didn't think it was possible…for one hollow to unite so many under him. I'm shocked you spared Barragan…but I respect you for doing it. He may be an arrogant fiend, but Barragan's help will be invaluable if you truly wish to fight the Soul Society. You're wiser than I gave you credit for."

"Hey so…what are we supposed to do now?" Starrk interrupted curiously as he looked around.

Ichigo shrugged, "Go find yourselves a nice little den I suppose. I'll come find you if I require your presence. Feel free to come to me if you need anything."

"Okay…a nap sounds really good right about now," Starrk yawned.

Lilynette put her hands on her hips, "Starrk! Ichigo just became King and you want to go to sleep?! How are you not excited?! I'm so pumped right now!"

"Alright, well go explore or something…" Starrk replied.

As he began to walk away, he looked at Ichigo, "Whenever you have some free time…I'd like to talk to you about some stuff."

"We can talk now if you want," Ichigo said.

Starrk shook his head, "Umm, I'd rather get some rest first…but later, and in private."

"Alright…take it easy then," Ichigo chuckled.

Lilynette sighed as Starrk made his way towards the nearest place to sleep in comfort. She looked at Ichigo excitedly, "I'm going to check out Las Noches! There's so much to do I bet! This place is huge!"

After she left, Apacci was quick to speak up, "Hey you wanna go see what the royal quarters look like?"

"That's awfully bold of you…" Sung-sun giggled.

The deer gawked at her, "Don't go spinning this all weird you snake!"

"Well I do happen to be a snake…thank you very much," Sung-sun laughed.

Mila Rose joined in amusedly, "This Apacci hollow, just loves to state the obvious doesn't she?"

Before Apacci could mouth a retort, Ichigo spoke up, "All of you should probably go find yourselves a room."

"Of course, your majesty!" Sung-sun half giggled as she tested out the new title.

Loly scoffed at the snake, "Yeah go slither away…Ichigo probably wants to talk to us in private anyways."

"You girls too…" Ichigo said as he looked over the rest of his companions. After they begrudgingly followed Lilynette's path towards the inner palace, Ichigo turned towards Harribel, "I hope I can count on you to help me train the lesser hollows. You're better at helping others than most."

"Of course, White…we'll discuss this later at the meeting. I am going to make sure they don't get into any trouble."

Ichigo nodded and watched as Harribel left without another word. After she was gone, this left only Ulquiorra. The majority of the crowd had left, and those that remained were repairing the palace as Barragan ordered.

Ulquiorra looked at Ichigo and pointed towards the moon. Ichigo was unsure of what to make of it until the winged Vasto Lorde flew up. '_He must want me to follow him_…' Ichigo thought as he followed Ulquiorra.

The mouthless hollow flew higher into the sky and landed on one of Las Noches' colossal tower tops. Ichigo landed behind him and cocked his head in confusion. Ulquiorra then sat down on the edge of the tower and looked up at the crescent moon.

Ichigo could tell that something was bothering his fellow hollow, and decided to sit down next to him. The two of them overlooked the desert for what felt like hours. Ulquiorra often looked up at the moon during this silence.

After the long silence Ichigo spoke, "What's bothering you?"

Ulquiorra glanced over at him before pointing at where his mouth should be. The orange haired Vasto Lorde looked away for a moment and nodded, "Even though you don't have a mouth, you can speak to me through your eyes…"

The black haired Vasto Lorde looked confused and shook his head doubtfully, '_My eyes? What is he talking about?_'

"You know it might be strange to tell you this, but I trust you more than any of the others…I understand you more than I understand them." Ichigo said as he locked gazes with Ulquiorra again.

"I don't need to hear your voice or your name to know you. We were drawn to each other in this darkness…because we're kindred. I am grateful for what you showed me in that pit…it inspired me. Knowing that you could leave that pit makes me believe that all of us can get out of this darkness one day…" Ichigo said distantly.

Ulquiorra stared at him silently. Ichigo looked down and sighed, "Sometimes I wonder if becoming an Arrancar is what hollows are meant to do…they're more human. Is that what it means to find a heart? To become whole? I just don't know…"

That feeling from earlier came back as Ulquiorra's haunting eyes stared into Ichigo's golden black ones. Ulquiorra thought for a moment, '_Arrancars? Like those maskless hollows? Could I…would that make it possible for me to speak?!_'

The green eyed creature nodded at him much to Ichigo's surprise. He gave Ulquiorra an uncertain look, "You think I should become an Arrancar?"

Ulquiorra nodded again. The horned Vasto Lorde looked down at his clawed hands for a moment, '_Maybe I should…_'

'_I can't bare this silence any longer. How can I not even tell him my own name?!_' Ulquiorra thought somewhat angrily as he felt a strange impulse come over him.

Ichigo was drawn from his thoughts when he saw Ulquiorra stand up. The mouthless hollow reached up to grab his own right horn. The orange haired Vasto Lorde stood up as well and watched him, "What are you doing?"

Much to his shock Ulquiorra began to tug at his horn as hard as possible. "What are you…"

Ichigo was unable to finish his sentence as Ulquiorra finally managed to rip off his own right horn. With it came the bottom portion of his mask leaving a fragmented helmet on the left side of his head. Green and white spiritual energy blinded Ichigo as Ulquiorra glowed within the surge of power. After it receded, he was surprised beyond belief to see Ulquiorra's face.

It had a strange serene beauty about it. His skin was ghost pale, and green streaks flowed down from his eyes. Ichigo then saw it…his mouth. The black lips of Ulquiorra's mouth. Ichigo stared in awe and couldn't really find the words to say.

His mind was racing however, '_Did…did he just become an Arrancar?!_' Ichigo thought disbelievingly.

Ulquiorra felt his face amazedly and tried to test his mouth. "Why is he looking at me like that? Did I become like those Arrancars? I can't feel my mask." Ulquiorra spoke for the first time.

Ichigo stood their frozen in disbelief as Ulquiorra spoke again, "I wonder if it will be possible to speak now? White deserves to know my name."

"You are speaking…" Ichigo finally replied.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened surprised, "You can hear my thoughts?"

"I can hear your voice…you're talking through your mouth," he clarified. The look on Ulquiorra's face was one of slight embarrassment, but also amazement.

"White…I can finally talk to you?" Ulquiorra said half believing he was dreaming this.

"Yes…you can talk to me. Your voice…is soothing," Ichigo said still recovering from his surprise.

Ulquiorra cocked his head, "Soothing? How so?"

"I like it…it's relaxing," he explained.

The black haired Arrancar stared at him without much emotion, but his eyes were lit up with eagerness as he nervously spoke up again, "My name is Ulquiorra…"

"Ulquiorra…" Ichigo tested the name. Hearing Ichigo say his name for the first time caused the Arrancar to tense up.

"He said my name…" Ulquiorra thought aloud again.

"Do you care if I call you by your real name?" Ulquiorra asked him.

"You're free to call me whatever you want…" Ichigo nodded approvingly.

Ulquiorra's lips twitched into what appeared to be a very faint smile, "Ichigo…I wonder what his face looks like beneath that mask."

"Why is that?" Ichigo asked confused.

It was then that Ulquiorra immediately realized he spoke his thoughts aloud again. Ichigo laughed at his comment, "You might need work on filtering your thoughts…"

"I definitely will…" Ulquiorra said passively as he looked away embarrassed.

After a brief and very awkward silence, Ichigo realized something…Ulquiorra was naked.

He was also noticeably absent his wings as well. Ulquiorra quickly noticed a sheathed sword lying on the ground next to him. Reaching for it, he looked it over confused.

"Arrancars seal their power in zanpakutos…at least that's how it was explained to me. Try releasing your power through it," Ichigo said as Ulquiorra drew the sword.

An impulsive thought escaped his lips as he held the blade, "Enclose Murcielago."

Ichigo watched curiously as Ulquiorra instinctively activated his release form. After a flash of green he now had wings again with a full helmet. His face was still visible however as the bottom part of the mask did not return. Ulquiorra was also dressed now in some type of white attire.

"You really are an Arrancar then…so that's how it's done," Ichigo thought aloud.

Ulquiorra stared at him somewhat anxiously, "Do you think it's possible you will ever become an Arrancar as well?"

"Maybe…" Ichigo said uncertainly.

His green eyed companion looked into the distance, "You are the only other hollow to ever acknowledge me…you spoke to me even though I had no mouth. You hate the emptiness just as much as I do…but you want to fill it. There's so many questions I want to ask…but I don't know how."

"We have nothing but time, Ulquiorra…you can ask me anything you want whenever you want." Ichigo answered.

The Arrancar's green eyes met his briefly, "What do you think a heart even is? How do you intend to find it?"

"I don't know…but I think we have a better chance finding it together. Loneliness is definitely far from it…I never want to be alone again. Not here…in this place," the new king explained.

"I feel the same way…I'm glad you and I are alike." Ulquiorra said as he looked away.

"Why did you rip your mask off anyways? You had no way of knowing whether or not it would make you an Arrancar," the orange haired hollow noted.

"I don't know what came over me. I did it so that I could speak to you…because you're the only one who ever wants to speak to me. I want to repay your…I don't the word to describe it," he trailed off.

Ichigo stared at Ulquiorra for a moment as if a revelation had just struck him, "If ever there was a reason to become an Arrancar then you've proven it to me."

"What do you mean?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Nel might have been right…Being Arrancar is the closest we can get to being human…to being whole. If you're an Arrancar…then so am I," Ichigo stated as he reached up for his right horn.

"I don't understand," Ulquiorra said but nevertheless, he watched with anticipation as Ichigo ripped off his right horn. His mask followed as it flaked away. This only left his left horn and the upper left part of his mask. A stream of red white and black followed. After a brief, blinding light, Ichigo looked around confused.

"Did it work?" he asked Ulquiorra.

The green eyed Arrancar stared at him without saying a word. Ichigo slowly walked towards Ulquiorra, but soon stopped as Ulquiorra reached for his face. The Arrancar briefly touched Ichigo's forehead before trailing his fingers down his nose.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked uncertainly causing Ulquiorra to immediately bring his hand back.

The other Arrancar changed the subject, "You're definitely an Arrancar now…I can see your face."

Ichigo looked around and immediately noticed his zanpakuto on the ground. It was pure white much to his surprise. He looked at it curiously as he reached down to pick his new weapon up. He briefly traded a look with Ulquiorra before drawing the blade. Similar to Ulquiorra, he already seemed to know the command to release his power, "Protect Zangetsu."

After a tremendous torrent of power, Ichigo was now in a very similar form as before. However, this time his skin was more visible down his chest as the armor was no longer there. In his hands he wielded two swords which were very similar in appearance to his former ones. Instead of armor down his legs, he had some type of strange tattered black garment greatly resembling a Shinigami's. The markings on his chest were the same, as was his hollow hole.

Ichigo couldn't help but notice the unusual red hair around his ankles and wrists as well, but decided to overlook it as he felt his mask. It was exactly the same as his Vasto Lorde form's mask. He glanced over at Ulquiorra anxiously, "Well…how does it look?"

"Interesting…" Ulquiorra replied as he looked down at the unusual garment on Ichigo's waist.

"You look better than I expected…you're a perfect Arrancar," a third voice sounded out of nowhere. Both Ichigo and Ulquiorra's gazes shot towards the source and immediately went wide eyed at the sight of a Shinigami captain.

They both recognized him by his glasses and brown hair and each traded looks of concern with one another. The Shinigami held his hands up calmly, "Relax…Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm not your enemy."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you one of those Shinigami captains that attacked me in the world of the living?! How the hell did you get here?"

"Now now…you mustn't jump to conclusions. I never once raised my blade against you if you recall. I came here to talk…that's it," the man explained.

"What's your name, Shinigami? How did you get here?" Ichigo demanded again.

The man pushed up his glasses and smiled in an almost eerie way, "My name is Sosuke Aizen…Captain of Squad Five in the Soul Society and lead investigator in the hunt for you. Before you jump to conclusions, I assure you that I am alone here."

"Stop wasting my time and give me answers!" Ichigo commanded.

The Captain sighed, "I'm one of the few select individuals amongst the Soul Society capable of opening a Garganta…it isn't a widely taught secret…for obvious reasons you can imagine. I saw your battle against Barragan, and some other hollow…quite impressive. Never in all my planning could I have predicted the perfection of your actions. The perfection of your evolution. Becoming an Arrancar right before my eyes…incredible."

"You should be less subtle in the things you say," Ulquiorra cut in with a serious stare.

Aizen glanced between the two of them approvingly, "I never predicted you would rise to power here. I knew you would be strong…but you seem to have ideals…purpose. You have given this to all hollows. That is remarkable. And now that you are an Arrancar…you have far exceeded my wildest hopes."

"Stop talking in circles! What do you want, Shinigami?! If it's some kind of peace offering I'll cut you down right now…" Ichigo growled.

"I want what you want, Ichigo Kurosaki…to see the Soul Society crumble. To kill the Soul King…" Aizen clarified.

Ichigo didn't seemed convinced, "Somehow I doubt that…do you think I'm stupid?"

"No…you're very insightful, and you're a serious threat to the Soul Society. That being said…they have been preparing for war with Hueco Mundo. I am offering you a chance to strike first, before they do. I can open the door to the Seireitei and let you straight into the Soul Society itself."

"Why in the world would you do that? What makes you think I have any desire to go there?" Ichigo scowled.

Aizen grinned, "There's a certain…item that I wish to acquire there. It's called the Hogyoku. If you help me retrieve it, then I will help you."

"What help could you possibly offer?" Ulquiorra asked.

The man grinned wickedly, "I could use the Hogyoku's power to transform your entire army into Arrancars. Think for a moment…they would no longer need to feed off one another, and they could be like you two…more human. Is that such a bad deal?"

"Where do you fit in helping us do this? What's stopping you from acquiring this Hogyoku if you're able to infiltrate the heart of Hueco Mundo unnoticed?" Ichigo demanded.

"Very astute observation, Ichigo…you see, it's currently hidden somewhere. In Rukia Kuchiki to be precise…she's the girl you took hostage during our last encounter. I cannot retrieve it without blowing my cover. I am powerful, but not enough to strip it from her in front of the other captains. She typically spends her time amongst them," Aizen explained.

"That sounds like a rather convenient excuse…" Ichigo shook his head.

Aizen stared at him for a moment, "Well…truthfully, I want you to help me so that I can inflict psychological damage to my former colleagues when they realize you and I are allies."

"That's probably the first honest thing you've said…" Ichigo chuckled.

The Shinigami joined him in a quick laugh, "Nevertheless…you and I could benefit greatly from each other's help. This is my extension of friendship."

"What is this Hogyoku exactly?" Ichigo delved further on the topic.

"It is an ascended relic of remarkable power capable of many things. In particular, I am interested in its ability to turn hollows into Arrancars," the Shinigami captain stated.

"Why does such a thing exist in the Soul Society?" Ichigo questioned.

Aizen shrugged, "Well a former captain named Kisuke Urahara, created it. I want to use it to help empower you and your kind. All I want in return is your help in destroying the Soul King. It's a win win situation for you."

Ichigo thought for a moment, "If I help you get this…Hogyoku, what then? You intend to live here amongst us?"

"Well…myself and two of my partners in crime," Aizen replied.

After trading a brief nod with Ulquiorra Ichigo spoke again, "Very well…but let's get one thing straight Shinigami. You're not in charge of my hollows. Got that? Also…if this turns out to be some kind of trap, I will murder every last one of you in the Soul Society!"

"Then it's a deal…" Aizen smiled as he held up his hand. Ichigo stared at it uncertainly, but finally decided to grasp it. He squeezed as tightly as possible immediately catching Aizen off guard.

With fury in his eyes, Ichigo whispered darkly, "Don't betray me, Shinigami…"

After a brief moment, which felt like an eternity to Aizen, Ichigo released his grip causing the man to rub his hand which had gone numb.

Aizen smiled at his decision, "I'm surprised you agreed to this so easily…but I am thankful you can see reason. You're definitely a better leader than Barragan. The hollows here respect you…as do I. Your trust in me will not go unrewarded."

"When do we leave?" Ichigo changed the subject.

The Shinigami Captain smiled at his question, "As soon as possible…you're free to bring any allies you wish, though I only need you there."

"Ulquiorra and I will go…this won't take long I hope?" Ichigo questioned.

"A day at the most…" Aizen nodded.

"Let's go then…" Ichigo nodded. As he and Ulquiorra cautiously followed the strange Shinigami Ichigo looked down deep in thought, '_I should find Nel when I get back. Maybe news of my victory has reached her. I wonder what she would think about this Aizen guy wanting to create Arrancars with this Hogyoku?_'

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Alright and there we have the long awaited battle for King. I hope it wasn't anti-climactic…probably was, but whatever. I tried…Anyways, lots of cool, stuff happened this chapter. Ulquiorra can finally talk! Ichigo and Ulqui both became Arrancars! And now the grand master schemer, Aizen makes his move. What will happen next?! Are you excited? *awkward silence* Please be excited…*crickets* Ummm…so yeah. Also if you want a better idea of Ichigo's mask fragment just think of when Tensa Zangetsu fused with his hollow. Also there's a reason why Ichigo's release has him looking like his hollowfied Shinigami "Vasto Lorde" form. Feel free to specuhate…err speculate, but all will be revealed eventually.


	9. Chapter 9

**White Chapter 9: Shinigami Academy**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society One week Prior XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Walking alongside her father in a large open plaza, Karin was beside herself with amazement. They were now in the Soul Society which she had heard so much about. The fresh Shinigami looked around almost excitedly as they made their way past a set of descending stairs and further towards a gate. After passing through, Isshin glanced over and spoke for the first time, "Welcome to the Seireitei…this is the heart of the Soul Society. There's no place safer…well from hollows at least."

"Do hollows ever attack here?" Karin asked curiously.

Her father shook his head with a straight face, "Not often…most are wise enough to not provoke the Soul Society directly. It would be suicide to do so. There are many powerful Shinigami here…I will introduce you to the head captain. He will tell you what to do while I am away watching Karakura Town."

"So how exactly am I supposed to train?" she questioned eagerly.

Isshin sighed, "They'll teach you everything you need to know at the academy. You'll be at an advantage thanks to Kisuke's reckless methods…so it shouldn't be much for you."

"Hey, Dad…about White. There's something that's been bothering me about him," Karin began, but before she could continue, they were interrupted by none other than Gin Ichimaru.

The sly, foxy man grinned his usual creepy smile as he welcomed them at the gate, "Welcome back Captain Shiba…we received word that you had arrived. Who might this young lady be?"

"This is my daughter, Karin…she's enrolling in the Shinigami Academy," Isshin answered bluntly.

Gin cocked his head at the man slightly, "Well, that's wonderful news. Hello, Karin-chan, I'm Captain Ichimaru of Squad Three."

"Nice to meet you," Karin nodded politely, though she quickly took note of her father's stalwart demeanor in regards to the other captain. Deciding it was best to not mention, she simply watched the two of them wondering what was going to happen next.

"We should be on our way…" Isshin said as he continued to lead Karin further inside. Gin simply continued to smile in his eerie way and waved, "Good luck in the Academy, Karin-chan."

After they were a considerable distance away, Karin spoke her mind, "What's his deal?"

"I never got a good vibe from him…if that makes any sense," Isshin admitted to his daughter quietly trading a look of understanding.

She nodded approvingly, "Glad I wasn't the only one…why did he greet us at the gate?"

Isshin shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I would try to avoid him and that Captain Aizen if you see either one. They're the type of men who say one thing, but mean another."

"I thought you said this place was safe?" Karin shook her head somewhat concerned.

"It is…but it never hurts to remain cautious. Vigilance is something a lot of these newer captains lack. I'm not saying to not trust other people, Karin…but always stay aware of everyone's motives here. Some people might try to take advantage of your lack of knowledge about the Soul Society…especially since you're part of the Shiba Clan. Keep that in mind if anyone important approaches you for seemingly no reason. The only people here that you should listen to are the people I'm going to introduce you to," Isshin explained thoroughly as he led his daughter further towards the Squad One barracks.

As they continued in silence for a moment, Isshin remembered her earlier comment, "What was it about White that you wanted to say?"

"Umm…if that hollow White killed Ichigo, where would his soul have gone?" she asked vaguely wondering how her father was going to process the idea.

Isshin cocked his head uncertainly, "Didn't we already talk about this? I've wondered about that for a while now…the likely possibility is Ichigo's soul was reborn somewhere in one of the outer districts. While that would be good news, it could take decades to find him and he likely wouldn't remember us. The other is Ichigo's soul somehow ended up in Hueco Mundo…I can't even imagine what that would entail."

The topic was clearly a bit heavy for Isshin's taste as he glared at the ground deep in his own contemplation.

'_Does he not even think it's possible that Ichigo could be a hollow?_' Karin wondered.

"What would that mean for Ichi-nii though? If a hollow killed him…is it possible he could become one?" Karin tested coyly.

Her father cracked a fist angrily, "Even if he could…Ichigo would be swallowed up in the cycle of Menos Evolution. It takes decades if not centuries for them to evolve into Adjuchas. I don't want to accept it, but Ichigo being trapped in Hueco Mundo as a hollow is a definite possibility. Though with White being there as well…"

Isshin didn't seem to want to finish his thought aloud as he looked away with an angered face. Karin couldn't help but wonder if her father already suspected the worst case scenario.

"Why didn't White try to kill the rest of us if it wanted our family dead?" she persisted still beating around the bush.

"I don't know, Karin…that hollow is wicked to the core. It probably did that in order to cause more pain to us. It has no qualms about going after the weak first. I don't know what happened to Ichigo…I wasn't the one who saw it. However, rest assured that I will find out what that fiend knows when I see it," he replied bitterly.

"I'm sorry…let's change the subject," Karin apologized, "so how long will this Academy be anyways?"

Isshin seemed relieved to be on a new topic and answered promptly, "It varies depending on the skill of the individual. Typically it takes a few years…I'm not sure how long it'll be for you."

'_Was that hollow really Ichi-nii or was it trying to trick me into thinking it was_?' Karin wondered as she tried to weigh the possibilities, '_from the way dad talks about this, White, I just don't know what to believe. That hollow didn't try to hurt me…but it hurt that strange guy that showed up_. _Dad seems to be in a bad mood…maybe I should wait to tell him._' Karin concluded mentally as they continued onward

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Squad One Headquarters XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After a long and somewhat eventful tour through the upper area of the Seireitei, Karin and her father had finally arrived at their first destination. The past few hours had been spent vaguely discussing the architecture and layout of the Soul Society as well as the locations for each various squad.

Karin still seemed to be absorbing the information as she looked around constantly; she felt it was worth remembering references to landmarks. The Soul Society was much larger than she had originally anticipated. She was drawn from her contemplation as she and her father approached a very fancy building. Upon reaching the front doors to the Squad One Headquarters, Isshin and Karin were surprised to see Captain Commander Yamamoto exiting with his Lieutenant.

"Ah, Captain Shiba, I received word from one of our sentries that you had returned. I have heard no updates on the status of, White. Have you or any of the others stationed in Karakura Town discovered anything worthy of my attention?" Yamamoto asked.

"No, Captain Commander, my return here will be brief. I simply came to ask your permission to enroll my daughter in the Shinigami Academy." Isshin answered.

The seasoned warrior looked down at Karin as he pounded his cane, "I was under the impression your children were human…you're telling me a child this young is capable of harnessing spiritual power?"

Isshin nodded, "She wears the attire…Karin wanted to follow in my footsteps. I was originally opposed to the idea, but since you insisted on my eventual reinstatement as captain, then I figured it would be more appropriate."

The head captain narrowed his gaze, "I see…and what of your other child?"

"I'm still working on that…if you would be willing to grant me full time access to come and go as I please, then I would be able to keep an eye on her until she is old enough to live her own life," Isshin replied.

Karin looked down somewhat deep in thought, '_Poor Yuzu…I wonder if it's wrong of us to keep this from her? I mean she's part of our family too. Who's to say she's incapable of becoming a Shinigami as well? No…this is not something I want for her. She's a pure hearted person and deserves a peaceful life._'

"This is an awfully bold request, given your current disposition towards the Soul Society, but I will allow it. The Shiba Clan has not had a suitable heir since the death of Kaien Shiba. Does your daughter here understand the duty that will be required of her?" Yamamoto asked.

Karin bowed her head respectfully, "I do, Captain Commander,"

"Very well…what is your name girl?" Yamamoto said sternly as he gazed down like a hawk.

"Karin Kurosaki," she answered.

"For the sake of your clan, it might be better to go by Karin Shiba while you're here," Chojiro spoke for the first time.

Karin eyed the lieutenant uncertainly, "But that's not my name…"

"It's a formality, Karin…I wouldn't sweat it," Isshin tried to reassure his daughter.

She sighed in acceptance, "Alright, that's fine then. I'll be Karin Shiba if it's that big of a deal."

"Return to Karakura Town immediately, Captain Shiba. I will take care of the girl from here…" Yamamoto pounded his cane sternly signaling for Isshin to leave.

The former captain sighed for a brief moment, "I will leave at once, Captain Commander…please take care of her."

As he made his way to the door, Isshin glanced back and Karin and smiled, "Make me proud, Karin…I'll make sure to keep an eye on Yuzu, so you just focus on your school while you're here."

"Understood…be careful dad," Karin nodded.

"Love you…" Isshin waved as he took his exit.

Afterward, Karin turned back towards the intimidating old Shinigami. Yamamoto towered over her with a look of pure seriousness, "Come with me, I will take you to the old Shiba Residence. It will be your new home. If you're anything like your father, then I expect you to be the cream of the crop in the academy. Do not slack off…it is a great honor to attend."

"Yes sir…I will train hard," Karin nodded somewhat fearfully.

After a short glare to emphasize his point, Yamamoto nodded, "Follow me then…I will explain the details on the way. Once you're established, I will send word to have you instated into the academy immediately. Normally one must wait until the new year, but since you already appear to have a Zanpakuto, and you are Captain Shiba's daughter, I will put you in the first class. Do not waste this opportunity…"

'_Jeez…this guy is strict_,' Karin sighed inwardly, but on the outside she bowed her head silently and respectfully.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Several hours Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After another tour of her new noble residence, Karin was starting to feel slightly overwhelmed by the thought of staying in the Soul Society. The Shiba Residence, was quite large, and was strangely unattended by anyone.

Despite its initial emptiness, it didn't take long for servants and workers to begin pouring in to wait at her feet. The whole ordeal was rather stressful for the young teenager who had no way of knowing how to react to so many people referring to her as Shiba-sama.

Of course that wasn't the only stressful thing she had to deal with. Karin sighed heavily at the strange attire she had just been given by several of Yamamoto's attendants. It was a Shinigami outfit similar to the one she came in, but instead of being the official black, it was White and Red.

The girl looked in the mirror at herself and found it to be rather silly, "At least I won't be the only person wearing this getup. I look like a shrine priestess."

Deciding she had no choice but accept this as her new attire, Karin exited the rather large bedroom that now belonged to her and headed downstairs. The Soul Society's architecture had a very traditional Japanese look to it, but for some reason the Shiba residence possessed a few western elements such as a grand staircase that one would see in chateaus. As she descended the stairs, she noticed the elderly captain commander standing there at the bottom.

The head captain nodded approvingly as the girl approached him, "Ah I see your uniform is properly fitted…good. I already took the liberty of informing the other clans that you are in charge of the Shiba Clan in your father's absence. I have enrolled you in the academy as well…are you ready to go?"

"Already? But isn't it mid afternoon?" Karin protested.

"That means nothing…the sooner you begin your curriculum, the sooner you can graduate. The school year actually began several months ago, so you will be behind. You cannot afford another day of wasted time. I expect you to live up to your father's name…Isshin Shiba was one of the finest Shinigami my academy has ever seen. Remember that…" Yamamoto emphasized once again.

Karin sighed in defeat, "Yes, Captain Commander…let's go then."

The old man turned without a word, likely expecting Karin to follow.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Shinigami Academy XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As she followed Yamamoto down the halls of the massive school, Karin couldn't help but feel intimidated. '_He said something about putting me in first class…how do they expect me to know anything in there? I hope I don't embarrass myself. Okay, pull yourself together, Karin…how bad could it be? That Urahara guy said I would breeze through the academy…hopefully_.'

Her nerves appeared to show slightly as the old man glanced back at her, "Stop looking skittish, girl…you want to make a good first impression. First Class is not for the faint of heart. Normally, I wouldn't go through this process myself, but given the special state of your admission, I believe it will negate any objection."

"Sorry…I'm okay," Karin straightened her outward demeanor as she tried to look more focused and less concerned.

The old man narrowed his gaze slightly, but finally nodded, "Good…through this door, is first class. Leave the talking to me."

Old man Yamamoto approached a large sliding door, and pushed it open, pulling in every glance from the room's inhabitants, who all appeared shocked to see the Head Captain. The instructor seemed unfazed, likely because he already knew about Karin's admission, but the rest of the class stared almost awestruck as the man gestured for Karin to enter.

"Captain Commander, Yamamoto," the instructor bowed, "you honor us…is this the new student you mentioned?"

"It is indeed, may I introduce to you, Karin Shiba…daughter of former Captain Isshin Shiba, and heir to the Shiba Clan," Yamamoto announced.

The class practically gasped in disbelief that a noble heir was in attendance. One student even had the audacity to announce this, "Onabara-sensei, I thought students couldn't join the academy this late in the school year!"

A quick glare from both the teacher and Yamamoto instantly caused the student to regret her outburst as she bowed her head immediately in embarrassment. Onabara shook his head and sighed, "Well this is a special case…and if the Captain Commander wills it then there is no restriction. Everyone welcome Karin Shiba to first class. Are there any words you would like to say?"

The teacher's question was directed towards Karin who seemed to be stoic on the outside. Inwardly however, she felt nervous and prayed that she wouldn't say or do anything embarrassing.

Yamamoto motioned for Karin to walk to the front of the class. As she slowly made her way there, she took in the looks from the room's students. Many appeared curious, some resentful, and a few awestruck. She had no way of knowing how well she was going to be received, but nevertheless, did as she was told, "I'm Karin Shiba…it's an honor to be here."

"Very well…take your seat, Shiba-san at that empty spot right there in the front," the teacher pointed to a spot in the auditorium like classroom that was center front. Karin dreaded the fact that she was going to be on the front row, but tried to focus on the positive aspect that at least she would be able to focus more on the curriculum and less on her classmates.

"Onabara, come with me…" Yamamoto motioned for the teacher to follow him into the hallway. The man did as commanded, but before leaving he glanced back at his class, "Keep the rabble down in here while I'm gone. Focus on your studies…I'll be back in an hour."

'_An hour? What the hell are they going to talk about?_' Karin wondered. She also didn't like the idea of being alone in a new class with no teacher. Nevertheless she kept up her shield of stoicism hoping nobody would be too interested in her arrival.

Sadly that was not going to be the case, as the girl she was sitting next to, happened to be the one that had the earlier outburst. She leaned back in her seat and gave Karin a disapproving glare, "So another one of the nobles, gets to just buy their way into first class huh?"

Karin immediately turned towards the girl with a straight, emotionless face. She thought about how to reply since everyone in the class stared as if they were watching reality television. Her lack of a response seemed to incite the bitter girl further, "What are you too good to talk to me, huh noble?"

"Hey, Ayame-chan…I don't think it's a good idea to pick a fight with a noble," a boy sitting above them interrupted somewhat skittishly.

"Shut up, idiot…I'm sick of seeing this happen. These damn nobles just think they can do whatever they want here. The rest of us had to earn our way into this class. And she just gets to walk right in halfway through the first trimester?!" the girl now identified as Ayame said angrily.

Karin was still trying to think of the best way to resolve this situation without making herself look like brat. The girl simply began to glare at Ayame much to the surrounding students' surprise.

"Ayame…have you seriously never heard of Isshin Shiba? He's like one of the strongest captains the soul society ever had. Do you really want to piss off his daughter?" the boy seated to Karin's other side defended her.

"So she just gets to ride out her family legacy like a spoiled child…that's hardly fair," Ayame huffed in annoyance as she began to glare back at the still silent Karin.

"It sounds like somebody's jealous…" another student giggled from further up in the auditorium.

"Screw you, bitch! You're all just afraid to say what you really think about this! Well I'm not! You hear me, noble girl?! I'm the strongest student in this class…and I will make sure you remember that," Ayame announced.

Karin simply looked away without even acknowledging her, '_It figures I'd make an enemy the first hour of the first day at school…_'

"Oh, she won't even reply! Is she scared?" Another girl added. This other girl appeared to be one of Ayame's friends.

A strange voice echoed in her head upon hearing this, '_What are you doing, Karin? Put these arrogant kids in their place! If you don't stand up to them, they're going to bully you!_'

'_What the? Who are you?_' Karin asked the weird voice in her head.

'_We already met, remember? Under the tree…in the ocean_,' the voice giggled.

'_You?!_' Karin thought shocked.

'_Yes me…I'm your Zanpakuto. We never really had time to get fully acquainted, but whatever. I'm not going to sit here and let you take these insults_.' the voice answered.

Karin immediately felt a strange sensation as her sheathed Zanpakuto began to glow. Finally deciding that she had to stand up for herself to end the ridiculous string of following comments, Karin stood up and turned to face Ayame.

The girl seemed genuinely shocked when Karin reached for the hilt of her Zanpakuto. As she slowly drew it, the blue glow seemed to amplify greatly from the actual blade.

"Her spiritual power…it's…" the boy sitting above them gasped shocked.

Before Karin could fully draw the blade, the classroom's teacher instantly appeared in the room, "Shiba-san sheathe your weapon and come with me!"

"Ooooh, somebody's in trouble!" The Ayame girl taunted with a smug grin as Karin sheathed her weapon and followed the stalwart teacher outside. After she left, the male student that had been sitting above Karin shook his head at Ayame, "Are you stupid or something?! Don't even act like you didn't feel that spiritual power. She was about to draw out a shikai!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Akira-kun," another student cut in, "there's no way somebody that young has a Shikai…well other than Ayame that is."

"I wouldn't be so sure…" Akira shook his head, "Captain Hitsugaya achieved Shikai at a young age."

"Why are you all provoking that poor girl for no reason?" a blonde haired girl sighed, "it's not like she came in here flaunting herself."

A loud chorus of approving and disapproving comments followed as the class began to converse on the topic of Karin Shiba.

Meanwhile, outside, Karin was brought to what she could only assume what the principal's office would be in the academy as she was directed to sit down across from Onabara. Sitting down next to her were several other instructors as well as Yamamoto.

Deciding it was best to admit her fault, Karin immediately bowed her head in apology, "Forgive me, sensei for brandishing my weapon."

"I will overlook it for now…I overheard some of the students calling you out, so your reason might have been justified. However if you wish to remain in first class, you had better prove to be as strong as you presented yourself. We resolve conflicts here through competition…prove to them you are good through excelling in the curriculum. I hope there will be no more undisciplined behavior? You are a noble…you must always present yourself as such, despite what other students think. Is that understood?" he asked

"Yes sir…" Karin bowed briefly.

Yamamoto coughed catching their attention, "I have fully briefed the instructors here on your status and they have been notified to grant you extra study time and special privileges. Everything is left up to you now, girl. I will send people to check on your progress periodically. Good luck."

After the old man left, many other instructors followed, leaving only Onabara left. Karin turned back towards Onabara who seemed deep in thought. The man cocked his head slightly, "I sensed your spiritual power fluctuate from all the way in my office. I know you are likely strong…but do you have a shikai already?"

"I…don't really know what a shikai is," Karin admitted embarrassed.

The man nodded, "I see…well the Captain Commander tells me that you were recently human, so I will look past your lack of knowledge on the subject for now. Despite what the class may think, I am honored to receive a child of Isshin Shiba in my classroom. If you're anything like him, I expect you will be my star pupil. While you're here, I suppose it will be best to hand you your new books and brief you on the rules of conduct."

'_Books?! Rules? Oh great…I thought this was going to be like a swordsman school. What the hell…_' Karin groaned mentally.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Half an Hour later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Karin followed Onabara back into first class with a huge stack of books and took her seat immediately. Ayame seemed to be focusing the same smug look from earlier, but was immediately brought out of it by the teacher's announcement, "If any of you, choose to incite your fellow students in the classroom, you will find yourselves back in the main student body. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir!" the class replied in unison. It was so well executed that Karin couldn't help but wonder how many times they had done it before.

Ayame focused her attention forward again, but Karin could tell she was even more bitter. The voice of her Zanpakuto quickly pointed it out, '_Serves her right…you'll be the new queen of this class._'

'_I just want to get through school_,' Karin sighed to herself.

"Alright, so in continuation of our previous discussion on Menos Evolution, we discussed the various levels of hollows. Who here remembers what they were?" the teacher asked.

Ayame quickly raised her hand and answered before being called on, "They range from normal hollows to Gillians, then Adjuchas, and finally Vasto Lordes!"

"Very good," the teacher nodded as he turned back to write it on the board.

Karin couldn't help but find the girl's need to be the center of attention annoying, '_I can tell I'm going to hate her guts_.'

"We went into detail about the differences in power level each of these hollow classes. Can any of you tell me, what they are?"

Ayame waved her hand again eagerly hoping to answer before anyone else got the chance.

The teacher sighed, "Does anyone besides Yukimura-san know?"

One of the girls from higher in the auditorium raised her hand, "I do sensei."

"Go ahead," he nodded.

The girl cleared her throat and began, "Gillians are a massive collection of regular hollows. They're usually on par with mid to high seated squad members. Adjuchas, range in power, but are about lieutenant level according to the base estimate. Vasto Lordes however are on par if not more powerful than most captains."

"Very good, Koizumi-san, what else can you tell me about Vasto Lordes?" he continued.

The girl seemed a bit uncertain, "Well…not much, sensei. Very few have ever been sighted according to Soul Society history. It's uncommon for the few that exist to ever leave Hueco Mundo."

Ayame appeared to be waving her hand again to catch the teacher's attention. He motioned for the girl to answer, "What can you tell us, Yukimura-san?"

"Well, technically the power level for Vasto Lordes can't be determined since there are no records of any battles involving them and us. I wouldn't imagine it possible for any hollow to be more powerful than a captain. Especially those like Captain Zaraki or Captain Yamamoto," Ayame explained.

The teacher shook his head in annoyance, "No…no!"

His shout caught the class off guard causing many students to immediately perk up with full attention. Onabara pounded his fist against the board, "Wrong! We actually do have a record of a battle involving captains and Vasto Lordes. I want all of you, to pay close attention to what I'm about to show you."

The class stared with avid anticipation as they watched the man prepare a projector, "Thanks to Captain Hitsugaya's Lieutenant, working with Captain Kurotsuchi, there actually is a recording of a sighting of the infamous hollow, White. What I am about to show you has only recently been permitted appropriate for the student population. Hollows are a lot more powerful than we think they are."

"There's a recording of White?!" Ayame gasped in excitement.

Karin seemed surprised by the girl's eager expression, '_What's she so happy about?_'

"Captain Commander Yamamoto granted me permission to show this video to you earlier. Watch and see for yourself how Vasto Lordes deal with captains," Onabara stated as he began the video.

The class stared in awe as it began. Karin herself was extremely curious as she noticed the start of the video. It began with four Captains standing across from two Vasto Lordes. One had no mouth, black wings, and large green eyes. The other looked exactly like the hollow Ichigo, Karin encountered the night she ran from the cemetery.

Her eyes widened in shock as she watched the video unravel. "Captain Kuchiki, the power restrictions have been lifted. The Captain Commander sent all of us when he heard there were two Vasto Lordes." a short white haired captain explained.

The students all leaned off the edge of their seats as their eyes widened. Karin seemed especially shocked when she saw the look of hatred in Ichigo's eyes as he traded a glance with the mouthless hollow, "Let's kill them!"

As the video continued the class jaw dropped upon seeing Ichigo fire his first cero between his horns. One of the male students jumped out of his seat, "He sent Captain Zaraki flying?!"

"You'll pay for all the Shinigami you killed last time! I won't let you live this time, White! Bankai!" the white haired captain shouted.

Ayame seemed amazed, "Captain Hitsugaya opened with his bankai?!"

They simply watched with both shock and awe at the sheer overwhelming power that White displayed as he fought Toshiro. Upon seeing Kenpachi's return, several cheered in excitement. Karin simply stared wide-eyed, '_Is Ichigo really that powerful?! I thought captains were super strong?_'

"That black spiritual energy is unnatural…I've never seen a hollow do something like that. It's wielding its sword arms almost like dual Zanpakutos," the male student seated next to Karin spoke aloud as if he was trying to process the scene.

"Woah! He just stabbed Captain Zaraki with his horns!" one random, overexcited student announced.

"Quiet all of you…just keep watching," the teacher sighed annoyed.

Karin continued to watch the battle almost disgusted by the sheer brutality at which Ichigo fought off the two captains. The video briefly panned over to Ulquiorra and Byakuya's fight, but not for long, since the battle between White and the two Captains was far more important.

The class burst into cheers when Kenpachi managed to impale Ichigo with his sword.

"I'm going to snap your neck hollow!" Kenpachi added as he gripped the Vasto Lorde around the throat squeezing tightly.

The classes' excitement immediately went away after Ichigo stabbed both blades into Kenpachi before pulling them out and slashing him across the torso. Everyone minus the teacher jaw-dropped as the rabid Kenpachi was sent to the ground.

"He took down Captain Zaraki…" Ayame said quietly with widened eyes.

The video continued on for a while leaving the class in a state of shock. When it got to the part where Ichigo sent Ulquiorra away, they were beyond surprised.

"Why's White sending his ally away?" the guy next to Karin couldn't help but ask.

Onabara shook his head, "Nobody knows…but watch closely at how this hollow manages to escape."

After a brief standoff, White snatched up Rukia and held her hostage against the four Shinigami captains. Karin simply couldn't believe what she was seeing, '_Ichi-nii would never do something like that…would he? Did that hollow trick me? There's no way in hell, Ichigo would do something like taking somebody hostage!_'

Her Zanpakuto laughed at her disbelief, '_Is it so hard to believe a hollow would do anything to survive?_'

"You go back…or she dies," White spoke almost evilly. His voice sent a haunting chill up the classroom students' spines.

The class visibly cringed in fear at the dangerous, hate-filled eyes of the Vasto Lorde. Before the video could continue any further, Onabara paused it. Many seemed angry that they couldn't see what was about to happen, but Karin was truthfully grateful.

She sat there dumbfounded by White's actions. Ayame quickly seemed to notice the visible distress in caused her and chuckled, "It's probably good sensei stopped the video when he did…princess over here is shaking."

Some people in the class laughed at her comment, but were immediately silenced when the teacher slammed a fist against the board again, "This is no laughing matter!"

Dead silence filled the room as he glared around at the students, "You've all heard the rumors about White…they're true. This hollow does not fear the Soul Society. Some believe it deliberately came to the world of the living to provoke us. You see how easily it handled Captains Zaraki, Kuchiki, Hitsugaya, and even Aizen. I hope this recording shed some light on the dangers of hollows. This is our enemy…we train to kill monsters like that! This hollow wants a war…will any of you be ready for it?!"

Karin stared at the paused video looking deeply into the golden black eyes of White, '_That's not Ichigo…it's impossible. He wouldn't want a war with anyone._'

The girl higher in the auditorium raised her hand again, "Sensei, how exactly did a Vasto Lorde outmaneuver four captains?"

"That is what we have been trying to figure out. Take this lesson to heart…all hollows want to kill you. Do not assume they are stupid. Every one of these masked creatures is dangerous…and Vasto Lordes are easily as powerful as any captain. White himself eluded four. Let that be your motivation to train in this fine academy. So long as hollows like that exist, then the Soul Society will need its best to give their best. You are dismissed for the day…"

As everyone stood up and gathered their supplies to leave the class, Karin remained behind staring at the paused image of White still. The boy next to her quickly waved his hand in front of her face, "Hey new girl…are you okay?"

Karin snapped out of her daze and turned towards him nodding. She spoke for the second time in the classroom, "I'm fine…I've seen that hollow before is all."

"You have?" the guy sitting above her cut in interested. The girl from higher in the auditorium also stopped to overhear the conversation as she passed by.

Karin nodded, "Yeah…it killed my brother."

This comment seemed to cause many additional students to gather around fascinated. The boy next to her seemed saddened by her words, "I'm sorry…by the way, my name is Daisuke Yanai. Nice to meet you, Shiba-san."

"I'm Akira Suga," the boy above them added. Several others introduced themselves as well, but Karin tuned most of them out as she wondered what to say.

The girl identified as Koizumi from earlier pushed several people along, "Hey why don't you all give Shiba-san some space. Go on, keep walking."

As many took their leave, the blonde girl extended her hand, "Hey, I'm Junko Koizumi…it's an honor to have you here, Shiba-san. My family was friends with Kaien Shiba. If you need any notes or help in here, feel free to ask."

"Thanks…I probably will," Karin replied as she shook hands with the other girl. The blonde cocked her head, "You're staying at the Shiba residence right? I can bring my notes by and help you catch up if you'd like."

"Gee…that's awfully generous of you Junko. Sucking up to the princess already?" Ayame mocked somewhat rudely.

The blonde sent a sharp glare at the white haired Ayame and huffed, "Don't bother learning her name…"

"The name's Ayame Yukimura…you'll know it all too well after I outclass you noble girl. Hahaha," the white haired student quickly took her leave followed by a posse of friends.

After she left, Akira shook his head, "Watch what you say to her, Shiba-san. She might be cocky, but Ayame-chan's head of the class. She's a true prodigy."

Karin simply shrugged, "I don't care…I just want to get through this academy."

"By the way…was that your shikai you were about to draw earlier?" Akira asked eagerly.

"Take a hike, dude…stop crowding her," Junko waved the boy to leave. He simply did so casually but as he left he waved at Karin, "It's nice meeting you Karin Shiba."

After he left, Daisuke and all of the remaining students did as well. After they were gone, Karin gathered up her books and stood up.

"Hey do you mind if I walk you home?" Junko asked.

"If you insist," Karin nodded. Outwardly she didn't appear to care, but truthfully she was grateful somebody reached out to help her. As the blonde girl led her outside, she turned towards Karin curiously, "So White killed your brother you said?"

"Yeah…two years ago," she nodded.

Junko frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that…one of my friends died in a hollow attack. So I can sort of understand what you're feeling. It's easy to think the Soul Society is invincible, but hollows can always catch you off guard."

Karin said nothing as the two made their way down the street headed for the Shiba Residence. The blonde girl looked away for a moment before speaking again, "That White is really terrifying…for one hollow to stand up to four captains. I didn't think such a thing was possible. It really makes you wonder huh? What would we do if there were more hollows like White?"

"What do you mean?" Karin questioned.

Junko shrugged, "Well you know…more Vasto Lordes. What would the Soul Society do if there was one for every captain?"

"How should I know…" Karin said distantly.

The other girl simply frowned, "I mean, it's probably impossible, but still…knowing there are hollows as strong as White scares me."

"How come hollows never attack here?" Karin asked curiously.

The girl seemed confused by her question, "What do you mean? The Seireitei is surrounded by Sekkiseki. They couldn't get into the Seireitei even if they wanted. Although they can invade the outer districts. It's not uncommon for those poor souls out there to fall victim to hollow attacks. I just fear going to the world of the living now. I mean what if I was the Shinigami stationed where White attacked? How could I stand up to such a monster?"

"A monster…" Karin said distantly remembering the terrifying look of hatred in White's eyes. '_Those were the eyes of a monster…how could that possibly be Ichi-nii?_'

"Well, anyways…" the other girl changed the subject, "it's good to see another heir to the Shiba Clan. After the death of Kaien, many people wondered what would happen to their house. I heard a rumor that Isshin Shiba had returned…I had no idea he had a daughter."

Karin began to tune the other girl out as they continued onward back to her new home. Upon arriving, the blonde spoke seriously, "Alright well, If we're going to catch you up in the curriculum we'll have to start with all the basic stuff."

"Okay, let's get started," Karin replied grateful to take her mind off of Ichigo.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX One Week Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The following week had been very busy for the poor new heir to the Shiba Clan. Not only was Karin overwhelmed with homework, but she also had to catch up on months worth of information. She spent almost all of her free time studying, trying to absorb as much as she could.

Thankfully, she proved to be a quick study, but it was the hands on training that she truly excelled in. The few hours a day the class spent learning Zanjutsu was her favorite.

The current curriculum in the first class seemed to be centered around how to draw upon one's Zanpakuto by learning its name. Karin wondered about this as the she stood in front of the class alongside Onabara. They were currently in one of the sparring rooms and he just so happened to pick her least favorite person to be her opponent.

"Alright, for today's training, I want Shiba-san and Yukimura-san to be my examples," the teacher announced. The other girl smugly strutted out as she reached for her Zanpakuto's hilt and lowered into a quick draw stance.

"Everyone step back…now as you know, Yukimura-san is our resident expert in Zanjutsu. She's an appropriate match for Shiba-san. Pay close attention to the way she harnesses her spiritual power into her swings. One must realize that their Zanpakuto is an extension of your very soul. I don't expect any of you to achieve this level until graduation, but knowing the name of your Zanpakuto is a key factor in wielding its power. Observe…"

Ayame grinned cockily as she drew her sword, "C'mon noble girl…show me what you've got!"

The class watched eagerly as Karin slowly reached for her Zanpakuto, '_This whole week of training and I'm still lost on half of this stuff…how am I supposed to know the name of my Zanpakuto? Junko didn't really explain it that well_.'

The familiar voice of her Zanpakuto immediately took offense, '_Have you forgotten that you are capable of talking to me, Karin? You're a stubborn idiot, aren't you?_'

'_Shut up you annoying lady…so if you're my Zanpakuto, what is your name?_' Karin asked.

'_Why should I tell you that? You've done nothing to impress me…show me what you can do against snowflake over there, and maybe I'll tell you…_' her sword taunted mentally.

Karin sighed as she drew her blade. The other students watched with excitement as she did so, but their excitement immediately ceased when they noticed it wasn't glowing blue like it did the first time in the classroom. It appeared to be a simple Zanpakuto, much to their disappointment.

Without warning Ayame sprung forward drawing her blade in a quick slash stopping a mere hair away from Karin's face. The class began to gossip as Karin stood there still, shocked by the other girl's speed. Ayame burst into a disgustingly self-pleased grin, "Too slow, I see…"

"Again…everyone else, pair up and train. You two, will keep at this," Onabara announced as he gestured for the class to split up and form into different lines. In the hour that followed Karin repeatedly failed to ever get the upper hand on Ayame, who appeared to be a master swordsman by her estimate.

Despite being in their own duels, most of the class would glance over and watch the two. After the final exchange, Ayame even managed to knock Karin on the ground pointing her Zanpakuto down at the other girl.

"Enough! Everyone take a break…Shiba-san, and Yukimura-san will continue," the teacher announced loudly. '_Why the hell can't I take a break?!_' Karin thought annoyed as she took a moment to catch her breath and stand up.

The class eagerly took seats around the edges of the room gathering into various cliques as they continued to watch Ayame and Karin who were not allowed to take a break. Junko was quick to try and say something, "Why don't they get a break, sensei?"

"Silence! Shiba-san needs more training. Her form is lacking," Onabara said defensively.

One of Ayame's friends quickly laughed, "Ayame-chan's beaten her every time! That girl's a noble?! Hah, she's hopeless."

Karin gripped her sword tightly feeling the anger swell from the comment. Ayame seemed to notice her shift in mood and grinned widely, "Oh did that strike a nerve? You're proof that being a noble doesn't make one fit for First Class…I'm going to beat you until you quit."

'_This bitch…_' Karin grimaced angrily. She glanced over at the teacher who appeared to not care about Ayame's comment. It was then that Karin realized what this was, '_He's doing this to test me…to see if I deserve to stay. But can they really kick me out of first class?_'

"I'm not going to quit…" Karin replied with an evident anger in her voice. This seemed to excite the class as they watched the noble girl's newfound resolve with a heavy anticipation.

Ayame immediately came in for another quick draw strike, but much to her disbelief, Karin actually blocked it this time. Before the white haired girl even had time to wrap her head around the impossibility of Karin's action, she felt a powerful kick connect to the side of her leg.

The white haired prodigy immediately buckled over as Karin knocked her off balance and to the ground. "Did you see how fast she just moved?!" somebody gossiped amazed.

"Get up Ayame-chan, don't let this girl embarrass you!" one of her friends shouted.

The white haired student immediately leapt to her feet with a hostile glare in her eyes, "You cheap shotting little bitch…"

"Watch your language, Yukimura-san…" the teacher growled.

Ayame seemed unfazed by his comment as she lowered into another stance, "You're going to regret that."

"Bring it on, snowflake!" Karin said angrily.

Without warning Ayame flew into another quick draw, but this time she followed up slashing like a maniac. This display seemed to catch Karin slightly off guard, but for some reason her reflexes felt a bit faster as she barely managed to parry them.

The loud clanking of steel whizzing against steel and air being sliced apart was quite the sight for the rest of First Class. "Get her Ayame! Mess her up!"

"You can do, Shiba-san!" Junko shouted in opposition.

The teacher simply stepped further back and crossed his arms with an approving stare, '_Good…if I have to nurture a rivalry to bring out their best, then so be it. Though, I am rather surprised to see Shiba-san perform this well on the fly. She's quite like her father…she can perform under duress._'

As the two continued Onabara watched them, '_Shiba-san was a human not too long ago. For her to have progressed this much in such a short time is nothing short of remarkable. However…if I allow this to continue she will eventually lose. I should end it as a draw so they'll both strive to be better than the other. Hmph…_'

"That's enough for now!" Onabara shouted as he stepped between the two stopping them from continuing. Ayame appeared furious at the intervention, "Why?! I was about to win!"

"Like hell you were!" Karin growled.

He shook his head, "You are all dismissed for lunch…return to the classroom afterward and we will finish our lecture on Zanpakutos."

"Yes sir!" the class all bowed in unison before dispersing into their lunch groups. Now came Karin's least favorite part of the day…lunch time.

Exiting the class, she felt the adrenaline high from moments prior still raging, '_I could have beaten her…what's with that annoying girl anyways? Why does she hate me so much?!_'

'_She's just jealous…and rightfully so. You're way more powerful than she could ever hope to be. She feels threatened by you_,' her Zanpakuto laughed.

"Hey Shiba-san," Junko ran up behind her, "that was amazing back there. Nobody has ever toe to toed Yukimura-san like that before. You're making incredible progress."

"I was about to beat her…" Karin said annoyed.

"Fat chance…Yukimura has a shikai just so you know. You'll never reach her level," one of the random passing students giggled.

A quick death glare from Karin immediately silenced it causing the girl to move on. Ayame strolled by shortly afterward with two of her friends and stopped next to Karin, "You got lucky, noble but I'll see to it you fail this school if you ever try to embarrass me like that again."

"Keep walking, Yukimura…" Karin hissed.

"See you later, loser…" she laughed with her friends as they all made their way towards the lunchroom. Karin sighed as she and Junko headed that way as well.

Running up behind them, Akira quickly placed on hand on Karin's shoulder, "Good work back there…I didn't think you stood a chance, but you held your own pretty well. Trust me though…nobody would have judged you even if you lost. Ayame's a prodigy…I reckon she'll be a captain one day."

"Why did that teacher end the fight before we could finish it?" Karin asked annoyed.

"Probably because it was lunchtime…" Akira chuckled at her question.

Junko pat her on the back, "Relax, Shiba-san…nobody is going to think less of you."

"Easy for you to say…" Karin muttered under her breath.

"What? I couldn't hear you," her blonde friend asked.

"You can just call me Karin…I'm not a big fan of all the honorifics," Karin changed the subject.

Her blonde friend seemed surprised, "Are you sure? That's almost too casual to address a noble by their personal name."

"We're friends aren't we?" Karin asked.

The other girl's face lit up with joy, "Of course…Karin. C'mon let's go get some lunch."

"I'll catch up with you two later…I need to go to the restroom," Akira said taking his leave.

After a brief walk down the student filled hallways, the two girls finally arrived in the infamous lunchroom. It seemed even more awkward than usual as every pair of eyes in there turned towards her and stared. '_I hate this place…everybody just stares at me all day. I'll bet the gossip about our fight's already spread through the school. I can't live this down. I have to beat this Ayame girl so she'll back off_.' Karin thought as she tried to look unfazed by the awkward gossiping and pointing from the many students.

Those in the lesser classes appeared even more interested in the gossip surrounding her. Karin managed to overhear one table's conversation as she gathered in a line to buy food.

"That's her? The new Shiba Heir?" one girl said not so silently.

A nearby guy nodded, "Yeah she's the one who stood up to Yukimura-san."

"No way! Yukimura's like the strongest student in the academy…" another person added.

"I hear she joined a week ago…didn't even have to take an entrance exam. She just immediately went to first class. Talk about pulling some strings. It must be nice buying one's way through school," another girl spoke.

"That's hardly fair…pfft, it figures that nobles get to skip the system. I hope Yukimura-chan schools her noble ass." the first girl said again.

"She pretty much did from what my friend in first class told me," one of the guys laughed.

"What happened exactly?" the first girl perked up.

"You didn't hear? They did Zanjutsu training, and apparently Ayame-chan's quick draw was too fast for her," the other girl stated amused.

"That's pathetic…I'm glad Ayame-chan knocked one of those nobles off their high horse. She's such an inspiration," the first girl spoke again with an evident admiration.

Karin felt a seething anger rise the longer she listened in on similar gossip. By the time she reached the end of the line, and bought some quick food, she turned back looking over the lunchroom again. Of course there were no empty tables as usual. She noticed Junko and Akira wave her over, but decided to simply leave the lunchroom much to their surprise. As she headed out the door she caught a fleeting comment from a nearby student, "Those nobles are so arrogant…she's too good to eat with the rest of us I guess."

Upon entering the hallway, Karin made her way back to the main classroom to eat. Thankfully, Orabara left it open all the time. As she sat down in the empty classroom, Karin began to silently eat her meal.

She felt a strange bitterness as she sat their alone, '_Why did I have to come here as a noble? Why is everyone treating me like I'm some kind of pampered diva? What have I done to deserve this?_'

'_Oh, will you get over yourself please? Look at you…you're pathetic! The real Karin wouldn't be sitting around moping like some victim. She would make these ignorant students eat their own words_!' her Zanpakuto shouted annoyed.

'_I guess you're right…I need to put Ayame in her place. I'm tired of her spreading rumors about me and making me out to be this condescending spoiled girl. If she wants a piece of me, I'll give it to her!_' Karin thought still seething in anger.

Her Zanpakuto appeared pleased by Karin's anger, '_That's the spirit…Onii-chan never would have let somebody bully him. Why should you? You are after all just like him…aren't you, Karin?_'

'_Shut up lady! Don't you ever have anything useful to say?!_' Karin growled mentally.

'_My name is Aoigetsu…_'

Before Karin had time to respond to this shocking new information, she felt herself lose perception with reality and was now within her inner mindscape. The young Shinigami looked around confused, "What the hell? Where am I?"

It was then she noticed the familiar massive tree on the lone island in the ocean. Above her shone a blue moon and it was then she remembered, "What am I doing back in here?"

A slender blue haired woman immediately leapt off a low tree branch across from her and answered, "You've been blowing me off for quite a while now…when are you going to realize that my opinions are your subconscious thoughts?"

"What are you talking about?" Karin backed away as she reached for her sword's hilt.

The blue haired woman laughed, "What are you going to do with that? Fight me? Ha!"

"Don't laugh at me…" Karin scowled.

"You're so much like Ichigo, that it's funny…I guess you always did idolize Onii-chan hmm?" Aoigetsu laughed.

"It's Ichi-nii…and stop saying that. My brother is dead. I don't need you reminding me of that every day!" Karin said angrily.

"But he's not dead…is he? You know that he's actually White. You know that you're just like him…" the blue haired woman taunted.

"Shut up! I'm not like that! I wouldn't take people hostage! I wouldn't brutally cut somebody up like he did!" she shouted.

The woman's blue hair flowed back and forth as she shook her head, "Then how do you intend to stop him? If you can't even beat some pompous little girl, how are you going to fight a hollow that powerful?"

"I'll train harder! I'll do whatever it takes! I'll free Ichigo's Soul!" Karin said assuredly.

"With what? A sealed sword? I laugh at the thought of that…" Aoigetsu giggled.

Karin immediately charged the blue haired woman and attempted to slash her, but much to her shock she quickly found the sword in her hands disappear. "What the?" Karin looked around.

The woman whistled, "Over here…looking for this?"

She waved the Zanpakuto in front of Karin. The girl glared, "How did you do that?"

"Have you forgotten already? I am your sword…I am the warrior part of your soul. I'm the inner you that wants to run over these annoying children you call classmates," Aoigetsu said seriously.

"So why did you bring me here? What's the point of you trying to piss me off all the time?" Karin demanded.

"You see this ocean here? Do you know what it is?" Aoigetsu turned and pointed into the vast moonlit body of water.

"Ummm…water?" Karin said bluntly.

"Yes and no…this water represents several things in your inner world. Sorrow being the main one…it drowns out everything you see in all directions. You've been living in a hopeless state of mind for quite some time. In truth, this Island…this tree, they've only recently emerged from the water," the blue haired woman explained.

"What about the old guy?" Karin asked, "and who was that old guy anyways?"

"Don't worry about him…" Aoigetsu answered.

Karin cocked her head curiously, "So then where is he? What does he represent here? Why did I see him the first time we met?"

"That is not something I would concern myself with if I were you. You need to focus on this tree here. Notice anything different about it?" Aoigetsu asked.

Karin stared at it for a long hard moment before the revelation struck her, "It's larger than it was before…"

"That's right…This tree represents your growth. If it can reach the moon, you will achieve your full potential," she continued.

"How's a tree possibly supposed to reach that high?!" Karin shook her head, "that's impossible."

"This is your inner world…anything you set your mind to is possible. Remember that, Karin…the only limit is the one you create for yourself. Your father is a captain, and your brother a hollow even more powerful than that. What makes you think you can't achieve that same level with enough time and effort?" her sword asked.

"You're strange…you know that? First you insult me and then you give me a pep talk?" Karin shrugged.

"You're the tree…and I'm the moon. How high can you reach, how tall can you grow? It'll be up to you to decide…to Rise," Aoigetsu concluded.

Before Karin could say anything else, she felt herself regain clarity as she now found herself back in the classroom with her half-eaten lunch. She immediately looked at the clock and was shocked, '_It's been thirty minutes? I felt like I was there for five._'

'_Hey Aoigetsu? You there_?' Karin asked mentally. Much to her shock the sword did not speak. Karin decided to finish her lunch as she reflected on the conversation with her Zanpakuto, '_She's got this weird way of helping me, but it makes sense though. I have to push myself harder and tap into my power._'

Looking back at the clock Karin wondered how to spend her remaining half hour in the classroom. Her mind was too distracted to study, and she didn't particularly like the idea of sitting in an empty, quiet room for half an hour sulking in anger.

Thinking about what Aoigetsu just said, Karin stood up, '_She's right…how can I help Ichigo if I can't even beat that dumb girl._'

Karin immediately made her way back to the lunchroom. As she headed down the hall, even the older, larger students moved out of her way, clearly spooked by the angry look on her face.

Karin quickly found herself back at the lunchroom doorway and took a deep breath, '_There's only one way I'm going to settle this…I hope I don't get expelled._'

As she entered the large open lunchroom, all eyes turned towards her again, clearly shocked by her return. Junko and Akira seemed happy to see her return but immediately knew something was wrong when they saw the seething anger on Karin's face.

She wasn't even trying to hide it this time as she locked onto Ayame's location. As they did before, many nearby students gossiped like mad. "Oh it's her…what's she doing back?"

"Wow that girl looks angry…she's heading for Ayame-chan." somebody else said. As she spotted Ayame's table, Karin walked there with a look of determination in her eyes.

Along the way, the table from before filled with the gossiping people all loudly conversed about it, "She's going for Ayame-chan? What do you think she's going to do?"

"Catfight obviously…" one of the guys grinned excited.

"Yeah right…she's too scared to fight Ayame in front of the whole school," one of the other girls laughed.

Their amusement was short lived, as Karin briefly looked at their table and kicked it. The sheer force behind it flipped it over spilling their food on the ground.

The table's occupants appeared visibly frightened when Karin looked each of them in the eyes, before moving on. The girl didn't even bother to look back at their shocked, and slightly worried expressions as she finally reached Ayame's table.

The white haired girl glanced up at her amused, "You still mad about earlier? You're going to get in trouble for that little hissy fit."

Without even wasting her breath to reply, Karin drew her Zanpakuto and kicked over Ayame's table frightening several of the other girl's friends. Junko tried to make her way over to intervene but stopped in her tracks as Ayame swiftly drew her blade in response.

"Oh I get it now…you want a rematch? I'll beat you in front of the whole school!" Ayame boasted.

"Shut up already…you've had it out for me since day one, and I'm tired of hearing you talk!" Karin finally spoke.

"Fight Fight Fight Fight Fight!" many nearby students cheered as the two girls immediately continued the swordfight from earlier. This time, Karin moved with a lot more speed and power. It greatly surprised not only Ayame but many of the other students.

The sound of whizzing air filled the lunchroom as the two girls flurried around one another attempting to land a hit. After a short bout of evasions, their blades finally met again, emitting a thunderous shrieking clank.

Karin immediately broke the deadlock as she went for another side kick. It successfully caught Ayame off guard sending her to the ground. The students cheered at Karin's display and watched excitedly as Ayame narrowly avoided Karin's curb stomp.

The girl tripped Karin as she got to her feet and swung her blade down for a swift slash. Everyone seemed surprised by Ayame's newfound fury as she viciously attempted to cut Karin. The dark haired girl narrowly rolled out of the way as Ayame swung her sword down, cutting the nearby table in half.

"Oooh!" The crowd gasped at the feat of strength. Karin quickly rose to her feet and managed to parry several swift jabs from the other girl before ducking down. Ayame reared back for another quick draw strike.

As she moved in for the draw, she instantly regretted her decision as Karin unleashed a powerful high kick right in her face. Though it sent her to the ground, she managed to recover before Karin could follow up.

Jumping to her feet again, Ayame held her sword back angrily, "That's it, Shiba! You asked for it! Bleed Daburu Subeta!" Everyone present gasped in disbelief as the white haired girl summoned her rumored shikai. After the a briefly blinding glow subsided, Karin was shocked to see the girl's previous Katana was now some type of double ended glaive.

The very end of the blades had a serrated razor like edge. Karin knew one nick from it could easily cut deep. The girl backed away slightly as she stared down the vastly more confident Ayame who clutched her weapon with deadly intent.

"Let's see how well your pathetic Zanpakuto holds up against my shikai!" she bragged.

Karin thought for a brief moment about some of the recent revelations she had learned. Thinking about her conversation minutes, prior, Karin simply scoffed at the other girl much to everyone's shock.

The girl's resolve seemed to be unfounded to many in the crowd who all began to shout out their own various remarks. "Back off Shiba, you can't take her!" one of Ayame's friends tried to dissuade.

"Karin, just stop okay? We're not allowed to fight like this…" Junko tried to reason, "you're going to get somebody hurt if you two continue."

The young Kurosaki teen stared the overconfident Ayame down as she held her blade out.

"No way…she's not really going to do it is she?" Akira said surprised.

"Rise, Aoigetsu…" Karin said calmly. A very bright blue glow came from her sword much to everyone's pure disbelief as Karin's Zanpakuto actually transformed into a Shikai.

Its appearance was now something akin to a black western styled broadsword. Down the blackened steel blade, many silvery spots, twinkled off of it almost like stars. The guard curved up in an almost crescent like shape. The pommel's crescent curved down however. Down the fuller line of her shikai a very beautiful tree like pattern decorated the pitch black metal of the blade. The grip of her sword was blue, as was the gorgeous sapphire that rested in the middle of the guard on either side. There also appeared to be a light blue glow around the blackened blade as Karin gripped it tightly.

"Shiba has a Shikai!?" somebody gasped quickly exciting the crowd even further as the two girls appeared evenly matched now.

"How…since when have you had a Shikai?!" Ayame demanded very upset.

"Since I decided I was going to kick your ass…" Karin replied as she waved her hands back gesturing for Ayame to come at her.

Taking the taunt, the white haired girl swept in at remarkable speed and began to spin and twist around in an almost dance like motion of attacks. Karin dodged and parried most of them, but it didn't take long for Ayame to break through with a swift fake out.

Karin grimaced in pain as the other girl cut her shoulder leaving a painful wound that drew blood. Drawing her blade back angrily she swung it without holding back and shockingly fired a blue wave from it. Everyone in the room immediately dove to the ground taking cover as the blue wave smashed against Ayame throwing her into a wall across the room.

The girl fell to her knees afterward and looked up almost terrified, "W-what the heck was that?!"

"What's going on in here?! What in the…YOU SHIBA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" an instructor finally arrived to the lunchroom. Of course it had to be Onabara-sensei as well.

The man looked around at the massive damage Karin's attack had inflicted in the Lunchroom, '_What the hell was that? Wait…is that a Shikai?! This girl has a shikai already!? Ha…looks like this rivalry is definitely going to pay off._'

"Sensei, I don't know what happened…she just came in here and went berserk and started attacking people. I stood up and tried to stop her from hurting anyone, but she was beyond reasoning. I had to summon my shikai to defend myself!" Ayame lied as she acted like the victim.

Karin immediately regretted her actions, '_What the hell was I thinking…now they're going to think I'm some kind of freak. Damn it! I'm so getting expelled_.'

"Shiba! Are you out of your mind?! I thought I warned you last week about what would happen if you brandished a weapon with the intent to harm another student didn't I?!" Onabara said angrily.

"It wasn't like that, sensei, I…" Karin tried to think of anything she could say to justify her actions, but truthfully there was none. She started the fight.

"You what?! Explain to me why you just put the lives of your fellow students at risk?" he demanded.

"Everyone get back to class…you have study time for the rest of the day. Shiba-san, get to my office immediately!" Onabara growled.

"Yes sir…" Karin nodded as she sheathed her sword. Luckily that was all it needed to return to its original state.

'_She made them hate me…and I only made things worse_,' Karin thought as she looked over at Ayame. The other girl beamed smugly from behind the teacher's back but immediately went back to acting as Onabara turned around.

"Are you alright, Yukimura-san?" he asked.

"I'll be okay…sensei. I'm just a bit shaken is all. I didn't realize it was okay for nobles to attack regular students," she said. It was so fake that it made Karin sick.

'_What have I gotten myself into_…' Karin thought annoyed as she exited the lunchroom.

After she left, Ayame stood up and dusted herself off, "I don't feel safe anymore, sensei…"

"Well maybe you should train harder then," he said carelessly once he realized she wasn't injured. The girl was put off by his comment but continued to play the victim. However, her acting was ignored the moment everyone realized somebody actually was hurt.

It was one of Ayame's friends. A bunch of the students were gathered around and seemed worried as they noticed the injury the girl now had.

Ayame instantly ran over catching everyone's attention, "Nariko!" as she knelt down and grabbed her friend's hand, Ayame shook her head, "That Shiba girl hurt her! Somebody get help!"

Standing nearby, Junko frowned at the sight, '_I thought Karin said she didn't have a Shikai…was she lying? That girl looks badly hurt…_'

Onabara stood up to leave once medical help arrived and made his way to the door, '_It's good Shiba didn't kill her…I would hate to expel my new star pupil._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Onabara's Office XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The bloody wound that had been inflicted on Karin's shoulder from earlier had to be self treated since nobody else seemed to care. Luckily there was tape in the office that she was able to wrap it with, but it still annoyed her that Onabara didn't even seem to notice. Karin sat in her teacher's office for what felt like an hour until finally he entered.

Much to her horror, Captain Commander Yamamoto also entered with him. She couldn't quite explain the terror she felt from the intimidating old man who simply stood in as Onabara took a seat.

The man took a deep breath before speaking, "I've talked to several witnesses…the lunch vendors say you started the fight, and that Yukimura activated her shikai in self-defense."

"That's a lie! She activated her Shikai first! She even cut me!" Karin outburst showing her shoulder, but immediately shut up after Yamamoto coughed.

"Your attack caused a lot of damage to the lunchroom which you WILL be fixing after school until it's done. Not only that, but you inflicted an injury to one of the bystanders…thankfully Nariko Fukuzawa is in stable condition and being treated promptly. She shouldn't be out for more than a day or two. You're lucky you didn't hurt her badly, or you'd be in serious trouble," the teacher explained.

Karin remained silent, but was relieved she didn't inflict a lasting injury to anyone with her attack from earlier.

Onabara glanced over at the head captain and frowned, "This is beyond unacceptable however. I had to call the Head captain himself just so I could figure out how to deal with you. He is the one who recommended you atone for this mistake by fixing the lunchroom and apologizing to the girl you hurt. Remember, Shiba-san, It is a privilege to attend this school…not a right. I'm giving you one more chance, only because of who you are. However, don't mistake that for forgiveness. You are a violent, renegade troublemaker, and that has been noted. This is your strike two. Mess up again and you're expelled…is that clear?!"

"Yes sir…" Karin bowed her head.

'_Strike two?! What did I do wrong the first time?!_' she yelled mentally fuming.

"Good…go back to class and study," he waved his hand in dismissal. After Karin left, Onabara turned his head towards the Captain Commander and smiled, "Thanks for coming, Head Captain…it really sold it to her."

"You had better hope Isshin doesn't learn about your teaching methods here…" Yamamoto shook his head.

"She's going to be a captain one day…I know it. Pitting my two strongest students against each other will make them both work harder. Surely you remember such methods?" Onabara chuckled.

The old captain coughed, "Such things can be effective…but you may have alienated Karin Shiba from the rest of her classmates by incubating this rivalry. I hope her rise in resilience will not dampen her ability to work as a team?"

"It'll make her stronger…if she's anything like her father, I know she can handle it. These things just have a way of working out," Onabara replied.

As Yamamoto took his leave he briefly turned back, "Do what you will…but see to it she succeeds. If not, I will inform Isshin you are to blame for this."

"All I have to do it play my role…she'll do the rest," Onabara grinned.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Back in First Class XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As Karin stood outside of the doorway, she took a deep breath once again. '_Just ignore them, Karin…you can't get in trouble again. Dad's going to kill me when he finds out about all this_.'

Braving her way through the door, Karin focused immediately on her seat and made sure not to make eye contact with anyone. Seeing her enter, caused quite a few people to tense up fearfully as they began to whisper.

As she sat down, Karin noticed a note on her desk area. Looking down at it the girl read it slowly, '_Nobody wants you here, freak! Who the hell wrote this? Ugh…just ignore it, Karin._' The note, while offensive, didn't seem to get the reaction out of her that some people probably hoped for as Karin simply brushed it off her desk carelessly.

"I'm shocked they let you back into the classroom…you hurt Nariko. It seems you nobles just don't care about the safety or well being of others," Ayame already started trying to anger her again.

Karin simply ignored the girl and everyone else as she tried to find some way to survive the remainder of the day.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX After Class XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The last two hours felt like an eternity to Karin, but she somehow managed to survive them and leapt to her feet the moment school ended. As she made her way to the exit, she was instantly stopped by her teacher who shook his head, "You have to go fix the lunchroom…go. You'll spend every afternoon after school until it's done. Though I would hope it wouldn't take more than or two."

'_Oh yeah…I forgot about that_,' Karin thought annoyed.

As she made her way to the lunchroom, she was greeted by several workers. One of them was an older man who handed the girl a broom, "You're the one helping us I take it? Start by sweeping up the debris…"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Three hours Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Miraculously, Karin managed to help the workers fix the damaged lunchroom in only one afternoon and sighed in relief as she made her way home. Night was falling as it was clearly evening. Karin shook her head, '_It felt like this day was never going to end…I just want to get home before anything else bad happens_.' Along the way she was quickly drawn from her thoughts by a familiar voice.

"Hey, Shiba!" Junko shouted out. Karin immediately noticed the drop in both honorific and her given name. She turned back and looked at the blonde girl curiously, "Did you wait for me to finish? What is it?"

"I thought you said you didn't know anything about Shikai…have you been lying about yourself this entire time?" Junko half-demanded.

She cocked her head disbelievingly, "What? Of course not…why would I lie about that?"

"You tell me, Shiba…nobody learns how to do a Shikai overnight. I don't know what kind of fool you take me for, but I'm done sticking up for you if you're going to lie to me."

Karin couldn't believe what was happening, "I wasn't lying, I honestly don't know much about how to be a Shinigami. I haven't even lived in the Soul Society for more than a week."

"Is that another lie too? How do I know you weren't just living in the outer district coming here to ruin Kaien's family name with your behavior? Kaien would never use his power to hurt other people. I told you to stop and you attacked Ayame anyways. I guess your pride is more important to you than anything else? You've just been downplaying yourself so people would think you're innocent, haven't you? I guess Ayame was right…you think you're better than everyone else here."

"Junko…that's crazy. How could you possibly think that about me?" Karin asked dumbfounded by the other girl's faulty logic.

"Don't call me by my given name…it's Koizumi-san to you," she said before turning to take her leave.

Karin stood there frozen, '_My only friend here…gone. Everyone in the Academy probably hates me now. I hate this damn school…_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The next day XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Upon arriving to class the next day, Karin was met with the all too familiar stares from every person she passed. Many parted in either direction as she walked dead center down the hall towards first class. Upon arriving, she was surprised to see a note on the door, 'Meet in the training room.'

As she made her way there, Karin briefly passed a group of gossiping girls who looked at her like she was the plague. They all stopped talking and stood frozen as Karin walked past them. As she made her way further down the hall, she overheard them speaking.

"So then, Ayame tried to stop her, but she just went berserk…who knew a brute like that could call themselves a noble?" one of the girls said.

Putting on her auditory filter, Karin simply started to count loudly in her head so she wouldn't have to hear anything else. As she passed outside and made her way to the training room across the courtyard, she was stopped by a random student she didn't know.

It appeared to be an older teenage boy, but Karin had never seen him before from the first class. She looked at him cautiously, "What do you want? Why are you blocking me?"

"Hey I just wanted to say…your shikai was really cool. A lot of the people in my class were rooting for you when you called Ayame out. Not everyone believes all the stuff she says about you. For what it's worth, I think you're awesome," he grinned as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Are you serious?" Karin cocked her head uncertainly. She couldn't tell if this was some kind of prank or joke.

"Sorry if this is a bit out of the blue, but I just wanted to say something. I've seen Ayame do this before. She tries to vilify other people, especially nobles, so that everyone will see her as some kind of champion of the people. Though the difference between you and the last girl she did it to is, you're way stronger than Ayame. Don't let her get to you…and don't back down. Somebody needs to teach that lying bitch a lesson," the older teenager said before taking his leave.

The whole conversation seemed so random and unusual, but for some reason it was the uplifting thing she needed to hear to get through the day, '_Well at least, that guy doesn't hate me…it's a start_…_but what did he mean his class was rooting for me? I thought I was public enemy number one now?_'

Upon entering the training classroom, the girl was surprised to see more than her own class there. There were the second and third classes as well. Many unfamiliar faces turned to stare at Karin as she found a seat on the outer edge of her class.

She hoped it would be auspiciously stealthy to sit near a corner, but her idea was short lived as Orabara announced the day's training, "Today is the Academy Ranking Tournament. Each of you will compete for a chance at placement into first class. Afterward, first class will have an inter-student tournament in order to rank you all in combat. This plays a major role in your placement upon graduation. So good luck...Are you ready?!"

"Yes sir!" the three classes shouted unanimously.

'_Well if it's a school sponsored fight then maybe I'll get another chance to beat that lying girl's face in…_' Karin though as she looked over at Ayame with a glare.

The other girl met her glare with a one of her own. The tension could literally be felt as the two locked focused their death glares even harder.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Okay, that's a wrap for chapter nine. So yeah sorry if anyone got annoyed that the entire thing was just about Karin, but I got a bit carried away the more I wrote. This is a fairly long chapter, but just to clarify any timeline questions, this is happening around the same time as Ichigo and Harribel are training their adjuchas. I hope that isn't too confusing since it's not all linear. If it's not technically perfect, then just fill in the gaps on your own I suppose. Anyways as far as this chapter is concerned…we get a good glimpse at Karin's first week of high sch-I mean Shinigami Academy. As far as some of the age questions are concerned, most of the named characters are close to Karin's age if not slightly older.

That aside, Karin learned her Zanpakuto's name…Aoigetsu. Now I'm no expert on Japanese, but I think it's a way of saying blue moon. Anyways, I wanted to really emphasize a lot of the developing emotions Karin has to deal with now that she's forced to be a noble, has a bully, and doesn't know how to feel about Ichigo.

As far as most of these OC's go…I had fun writing Ayame's character especially. Because it doesn't matter how good or bad, rich or poor, or when and where you are…there's always that one person in every school/class/job that you just hate or they hate you. Although the teacher's idea to pit them against each other to draw out their willpower is quite the plan isn't it? I wonder how it will fare.

So Ayame's Zanpakuto "Daburu Subeta" has a few meanings. The official fanfic one for my story means double sword. The other meaning is a bit of a play on words to laugh about Ayame's character. It can also mean Twin/mixed bitch. that was a bit of a joke on my part. A double meaning if you will…lol, but yeah that's my lame humor.

Well that aside, I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter will return back to the hollows.


	10. Chapter 10

**White Chapter 10: Black and White**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ulquiorra and I will go…this won't take long I hope?" Ichigo questioned.

"A day at the most…" Aizen nodded.

"Let's go then," Ichigo replied somewhat anxiously. The two Arrancars immediately followed after Aizen who made his way back down the massive tower atop Las Noches. Upon touching further down, towards the ground, the Shinigami stopped briefly and turned around.

Aizen observed the two newly born Arrancars with a casual approval as they both stared at him in anticipation. "Before we go to the Soul society…there was an interesting matter I wanted to bring to your attention, Ichigo Kurosaki," Aizen said with a calm tone.

The orange haired Arrancar glared doubtfully as he tilted his head, "Why the delay? I thought we were heading to the soul society immediately."

"Well it might be in your best interest to acquire some clothes first…assuming this palace is the same as I remembered, there is likely some here," Aizen noted casually.

Ichigo glared at him intensely, "Just how long have you been coming and going here?"

"Quite some time actually…since long before you were born. The origins of Las Noches has always interested me, but alas, Barragan is likely the only one who knows of how it came into being. Regardless of that…you two may find clothes in one of its rooms," Aizen explained.

Ulquiorra traded a brief nod of understanding with Ichigo before the orange haired Arrancar spoke, "Alright, let's go find some then…was there something else? You're not moving, Shinigami."

"Forgive my delay, Ichigo Kurosaki, but there was in fact a matter I wanted you to address before we left. There is a rather strange pair of hollows I encountered deep below the Menos Forest that I believe may be of some assistance to our cause," Aizen began.

Ichigo narrowed his gaze, "Is that so? I killed almost everything in the Menos Forest when I was an Adjucha. Why is this relevant now?"

"Their help would prove invaluable…and necessary," Aizen stated bluntly.

The hollow king cocked his head, "How so? Why do we need help?"

"I have been observing the shift in power here for the past few decades. Your arrival was the catalyst for great change in this world. Everything in the Menos Forest feared you…then when you ventured to the surface, you made a name for yourself once again. Now you stand atop Las Noches as King of the hollows. Your presence alone, while formidable, does not truly emphasize the magnitude of such a title. The Soul Society simply views you as a powerful hollow. An Alpha of sorts…and nothing else. If you truly wish to show them that you are the King of Hollows, then you should be their iconic opposite and instill fear within them," Aizen explained somewhat vaguely.

"You speak in circles too much…I suggest you be more straightforward with your logic, Shinigami," Ulquiorra spoke darkly. His threatening tone seemed to radiate distrust as he glared at Aizen.

The captain didn't even seem fazed by Ulquiorra's comment as he remained dead fixed on Ichigo's reaction. The horned Arrancar seemed uncertain.

"Think about it, Ichigo…what could you do to prove yourself a force to be reckoned with? How would you show them the full opposition of your rule?" Aizen asked.

The horned arrancar thought for a moment, "Well…for starters, they wear all black, so we could wear all wear White I suppose."

Aizen grinned, "That's a good start…but it's not what I meant exactly. What represents the might of the Soul Society to you, Ichigo?"

"Shinigami Captains, most likely…" Ichigo said as he was beginning to understand Aizen's reasoning.

"So then what represents the might of Hueco Mundo? Vasto Lordes. You united almost all of them…so perhaps you should bring them along," Aizen explained.

Before he could even examine Ichigo's reaction, the Arrancar had Aizen's throat in a vice grip. The Shinigami Captain could barely believe the situation as Ichigo lifted him off the ground, "You already think you can order me around, Shinigami?! I'm not a fool. I would not leave Las Noches unprotected. For all I know this is all a part of some plan of yours to lure us away. I am not concerned about some hypothetical ambush waiting for me, but I won't let you move us around like pawns. Is that clear, Aizen?!"

The brown haired man coughed and began to gasp heavily as Ichigo released his grip dropping the man to the ground. Aizen took a deep breath as he stared at Ichigo cautiously, _'How did he move that fast? Perhaps I underestimated the growth in his power…he's too powerful for me to control through conventional means…and certainly more observant than I gave him credit for. I'll just have to play by his rules until I can master the Hogyoku. I wonder how effective my Zanpakuto would be…I doubt he would let me draw my sword against him. Perhaps I can find a way to catch him off guard. Though so long as we remained allied, my plan can still proceed accordingly. I should not underestimate Ichigo again…I will have to be very cautious from here on out._'

"Perfectly," Aizen said as he rose to his feet slowly, "you're in charge, Ichigo."

"What did you mean by almost all of the Vasto Lordes? Didn't they all come to witness the battle?" Ulquiorra interrupted curiously.

Aizen grinned, "Well, one of the hollows beneath the Menos Forest that I mentioned…it is a Vasto Lorde similar to you. This hollow has a very unique ability that would prove invaluable to our mission in the Soul Society. I would prefer if we could bring it at the very least."

"I don't trust you, Aizen…your motivations behind all of this seems skewed to me, but I will humor your request. If there are any rogue Vasto Lordes, then I should recruit them, but I don't intend on wasting my time looking for this hollow. You better lead us straight to it," Ichigo sighed.

"What is this unique ability you speak of? And what of the other hollow? You mentioned there being a pair?" Ulquiorra questioned curiously.

Before Aizen could respond, several flashes appeared all around the three individuals. Standing around them was Barragan, as well as Grimmjow, Harribel, and Starrk. They all glared at Aizen suspiciously, but seemed even more surprised by Ichigo and Ulquiorra's new appearances.

"White, I sensed your spiritual power fluctuate…what is the meaning of this!? How did a Shinigami infiltrate Las Noches?!" Barragan trailed off topic angrily. Despite his still recovering injuries, his rage was no less prevalent as he stared at Aizen hatefully.

Grimmjow cracked a fist, "A Shinigami?! What the…what happened to you two? You look way different than earlier. Has this Shinigami done something to you?!"

The feline Vasto Lorde, while still beat up from earlier, shared Barragan's same attitude towards the lone captain.

Harribel and Starrk both stared silently at Ulquiorra's appearance as well as Ichigo's with an unrestrained confusion.

Starrk spoke slowly, "Did you two become Arrancars? There were two massive power fluctuations."

"Yes, we did…" Ulquiorra spoke for the first time to the others. They all seemed surprised to hear his voice and see his face.

Grimmjow cracked his fists and hissed, "Why?! Who the hell would want to be one of those broken masked hollows?!"

"They're more powerful than regular hollows since they possess Shinigami powers as well as their own hollow ones," Aizen answered for them.

Hearing the suave captain speak seemed to incite Grimmjow into a fit of rage, but he immediately restrained himself as Ichigo sent him a quick glare to back down.

Being the voice of reason, Harribel spoke up, "Perhaps you should explain the situation fully, White."

Ichigo held his hand up, "Very well, Let me explain…Ulquiorra and I both became Arrancars. Shortly after, our transformation attracted the attention of this Shinigami spy. Apparently he is one of the few capable of opening Gargantas here. His name is Sosuke Aizen and he claims to be alone in Hueco Mundo. This Shinigami Captain approached with the proposition of an alliance with Hueco Mundo and two of his colleagues in order to kill the Soul King and defeat the Soul Society."

A brief silence passed after Ichigo's explanation. All of the Vasto Lordes and Arrancars had mixed reactions. Grimmjow and Barragan both seemed annoyed by the very idea of it, whilst Harribel and Starrk appeared more interested.

"Absurd…to think one of these pathetic specs of dust has the gall to infiltrate my palace and suggest an Alliance?! I will never work with them!" Barragan growled.

"Technically…this is White's palace now," Harribel said stoically as she continued to eye Ichigo up and down.

Barragan mumbled something to himself but immediately shut up after Ichigo locked a quick glare at him, "Regardless of that…" Ichigo said as intimidating as possible, "this Shinigami informed me that the Soul Society has a powerful item capable of turning hollows into Arrancars. His offer seems beneficial."

"I thought you were opposed to Arrancars…strange to see you become one yourself. What would be the benefit of this?" Harribel said somewhat uncertainly.

Ichigo shook his head, "As an Arrancar your evolution through the Menos Cycle ceases. That means we wouldn't have to eat each other to keep from reverting back into lesser hollows. Since we intend to establish a true hierarchy here then it would only make sense to do so."

"It would also make us more human…and improve the lifestyles of all hollows," Starrk nodded.

Barragan didn't seem fully convinced as he eyed everyone doubtfully. Aizen however, was quick to catch onto this, "It might interest you to know, Barragan, that you yourself are an imperfect Arrancar."

"What did you just say?! I am a Vasto Lorde and a King!" Barragan growled.

"You're a Vasto Lorde yes…but you are on the verge of something greater. Your power is peaked in that current form…but if you were to become a true Arrancar then it would become even greater. With the power of the Hogyoku, I could empower all of you…" Aizen smooth talked.

"Hogyoku? It sounds like nonsense to me. How can you be certain it isn't some sort of trap laid out by this withering worm?" Barragan half demanded looking over at Ichigo.

Ichigo chuckled at the question before turning towards Aizen, "You have my permission to continue, Shinigami. Explain this Hogyoku to my Vasto Lordes."

Inwardly Aizen felt annoyed that Ichigo had already established his dominance, but pushed his emotions aside as he spoke calmly, "As your King White has stated…the Hogyoku has the ability to transform hollows into Arrancars. Hollows become far more powerful in this state. I won't go into details, but it is capable of a great many things. One of which is to blur the lines between Shinigami and Hollow. You could live more fulfilling lives and still oppose those who hunt you with the increased power you would wield. Is that not what you've all wanted?"

"You don't know anything about what we want…" Ulquiorra interrupted emotionlessly.

"Perhaps not…" Aizen shrugged.

Ichigo began to pace around as he made eye contact with each of his high ranking allies, "Ulquiorra and I are going to retrieve this item from the Soul Society. When we return, we will see to it that this Shinigami delivers his promise. If he does not, then we will tear him apart. The rest of you should stay here and maintain order. Keep our forces gathered…I know that the soul society is planning something against us."

Barragan seemed excited by Ichigo's boldness, "You're going to the Soul Society? Such a thing has not been attempted in millennia."

"I'll go with you! Let me instill fear in them!" Grimmjow said eagerly.

"No…you and Barragan are still recovering, and I need you all keep the Adjuchas in line. This isn't an invasion…we're simply retrieving the Hogyoku," Ichigo explained.

The blue haired beast sighed in annoyance but nodded, "I got you, White…we'll stay."

"I'm not sure this is a good idea…but I trust you to do what you think is best," Harribel nodded.

"If what this man says is true then this Hogyoku could be our salvation…and it would make it easier to unite more hollows," Starrk added with an unusual interest.

Barragan finally seemed convinced by the idea as he grunted in acceptance, "Very well…but who is in command during your absence? Myself I presume?"

"You're free to command the hollows in Las Noches all you want, but don't try commanding me," Harribel said with a slight touch of hostility.

Grimmjow shared a similar response, "I'm not taking orders from you…just so we're clear."

Starrk simply looked away bored, "I don't mind…I'm no leader anyways."

"Get over your pride all of you…we're the elite of Hueco Mundo. The leaders of the Hollows. The rest of our kind depend on how we manage things from here. For their sake…and for our own, we cannot afford to turn against each other over petty things. Right now the only thing keeping Hueco Mundo united is our cooperation. What would you rather do? Live scattered in fear as we all kill each other over scraps of power…or take orders from someone? Barragan's in charge until I return…don't make me regret this decision," Ichigo turned towards the skeleton king with a dangerous look.

Dead silence followed as everyone simply nodded silently. Afterward, Aizen's voice caught their attention once again, "The way you speak to them is fascinating…I never would have imagined you to be the charismatic type, Ichigo."

"Show us this room with the clothes you mentioned and then we'll go find that other Vasto Lorde," Ulquiorra spoke up redirecting the conversation.

Aizen nodded, "Of course follow me…"

"What's he talking about? There's another Vasto Lorde?" Grimmjow asked.

"Supposedly beneath the Menos Forest from what he's said…we'll go investigate it first. Go on Aizen…start moving!" Ichigo commanded.

"Of course," he responded in his usual relaxed voice. Ulquiorra and Ichigo both trailed behind the Shinigami as he led them around Las Noches into what seemed to be a corridor of sorts. After a short run through the infrastructure, they came across a large room.

Aizen pointed inside, "There's likely clothes in there."

"You're not leaving my sight, Shinigami…go first," Ichigo gestured.

"As you say…" the brown haired man's eyes trailed away for a short moment before leading them into the room. After entering, Ichigo looked around at the interior curiously, "It seems like this room was built for a human."

"My theory is that Arrancars are responsible for the creation of this palace…though that is something you might want to ask Barragan about," Aizen shrugged.

After a short search through the room, both Ichigo and Ulquiorra found white outfits that seemed to perfectly express their opposition to the black clad Shinigami. Ichigo's release form receded slowly as he adorned his new attire. Despite the unusualness of putting on clothes, he seemed to have an instinctual understanding of how to do so.

Ulquiorra quickly did the same as his release form also receded. As they changed, Aizen looked away for a moment and sighed, "The other special hollow you asked about has an ability that I would consider necessary for our escape."

Finally dressed, Ichigo turned towards Aizen, "So you've said…what about it is so important anyways?"

"It has an ability called Negacion…you may not be aware of what that is. But it is an ability that allows a hollow to isolate its allies from their current dimension and draw them back into Hueco Mundo. So say for example we get surrounded in the Soul Society…we would have an immediate escape," Aizen said coolly.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly, but Ichigo appeared fascinated by the idea. The orange haired Arrancar glanced at Aizen seriously, "You've already given this some serious thought I see…I can't deny that having a backup plan does make sense. What special ability does this other Vasto Lorde possess if any?"

"The Vasto Lorde protects this special hollow and many of the gillians. I am not fully aware of all of its abilities, but I do know that it has the ability to negate fire," Aizen said as he began to walk out of the room.

Ulquiorra and Ichigo quickly followed him as they all made their way back outside.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Some Time Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

An undetermined amount of time passed as Ichigo, Aizen, and Ulquiorra had finally arrived at the Menos Forest beneath the shifting sands of the surface. Their trip had been spent mostly in silence, minus the occasional comment or acknowledgement regarding direction and preparation.

As they walked through the forest, Ichigo couldn't help but look around and feel a bit nostalgic. The sight of the Menos Forest brought up brief memories of his time as a Gillian and later Adjucha. Looking at a scarred path of destruction, he immediately remembered the time he killed Shinigami there.

The orange haired hollow smiled for a moment quickly catching Aizen's attention. The brown haired captain glanced back, "You seem quite distracted…"

"I'm fine…it's just interesting coming back here," Ichigo replied. Ulquiorra remained silent but quickly figured that Ichigo recognized the heavily scarred landscape they were following.

They continued like this for a time before finally coming to a strange cavern. Upon stopping, Aizen sighed, "This tunnel leads to an underground den. There you will encounter the hollows. As the King, I trust you will be able to conscript them into your army."

"Ulquiorra…make sure you keep watching him while I deal with these hollows," Ichigo said to his friend before stepping into the cave. Ulquiorra motioned for Aizen to go first and followed swiftly behind him.

The cave seemed to stretch quite a way as it winded further down into the ground. Finally after another long walk, they reached the underground den. Ichigo stepped into it without fear as he examined what he could only describe as the largest hollow he had ever seen.

It had a massive bulbous body and a large single eye. Its fingernails had the appearance of Gillian Masks as well. Ichigo didn't have much time to examine it since not even a moment later a bluish white Vasto Lorde blinked in front of him.

The Vasto Lorde was somewhat shorter than him, with shoulder length blonde hair and purple black eyes. Its mask was quite unique in appearance and had headpiece like extensions coming off the forehead. Two spike like extensions came out of its upper back and dead center in its chest resided a hollow hole.

Ichigo didn't bother reaching for his Zanpakuto as he slowly approached the Vasto Lorde. The hollow seemed surprised by his action and pulled a purple sword out of nowhere. Before the blade could even be risen, Ichigo held up his hand, "Wait!"

The other hollow lowered its sword much to Aizen's surprise as he and Ulquiorra stood a considerable distance behind Ichigo. The massive hollow behind the Vasto Lorde appeared passive despite their arrival.

Ichigo stared at the Vasto Lorde for a brief moment before speaking, "What is your name, Vasto Lorde?"

The creature seemed surprised by his question as it tilted its head to the side. It stared at the mask fragment atop Ichigo's head and at the black sclera, golden eyes of the Arrancar. Ichigo looked at the creature's mask and wondered if it was even capable of speech.

Without warning the Vasto Lorde charged him with unseen speed and tried to slice him with its blade. Before the weapon could even make contact, Ichigo caught the other hollow's wrist mid swing. Aizen watched with interest as the hollow immediately tried attacking again.

Each and every melee attack it delivered either missed or was stopped by Ichigo's bare hands. It didn't take long for the Vasto Lorde to cease its assault as it leapt back cautiously.

"Wonderweiss Margela…" was all the Vasto Lorde managed to say as it placed the purple sword between the spikes on its back.

"My name is White…if you've lived in the Menos Forest, then you probably know who I am," Ichigo began.

The purple eyed hollow stared at him almost emptily before responding, "White…dragon adjucha?"

"You remember me? I evolved…into a Vasto Lorde like you, and now I am an Arrancar," he explained.

"Arrancar?" the other hollow said the foreign word with uncertainty.

Ichigo nodded and quickly pointed at his mask fragment, "The broken mask made me more human…but is also increased my power."

The Vasto Lorde seemed fascinated by him as he stared Ichigo up and down with a particular approval, "White is strong…"

"Yes…I am the King of Hueco Mundo. I united all of the hollows. Tell me Wonderweiss, what is the name of your friend here?" Ichigo asked as he looked up at the still passive giant hollow behind them.

The Vasto Lorde glanced back at the monstrosity before turning forward again, "Hooleer."

Ulquiorra stared at the scene with a slight interest, '_Ichigo is handling this better than I expected. This Vasto Lorde is very strange…'_

Deciding it was appropriate to move in, Aizen slowly walked up and joined the conversation, "Hello Wonderweiss, my name is Sosuke Aizen."

The Vasto Lorde immediately tensed up reaching for his weapon again, but stopped as Ichigo put a hand on his shoulder, "What do you and Hooleer do down here?"

Keeping his eyes fixed on Aizen, the hollow spoke slowly, "Protect gillians…Hooleer guardian. Wonderweiss guard Hooleer."

"His speech appears fragmented…I imagine this duty of his is the only thing that keeps him from going fully feral," Aizen noted.

"You wish to protect other hollows then?" Ichigo asked.

The Vasto Lorde nodded at his question, "Yes."

"Then you should join my army. I want the same thing. I want all hollows to stand united in order to protect us from the Soul Society. You two could help me against the Shinigami," The hollow king elaborated. Upon hearing his comment, the massive Hooleer looked down at Ichigo and made a loud shriek.

Wonderweiss turned around and looked up at it, "Hooleer agrees?"

It shrieked again in confirmation as it stood up fully. The Vasto Lorde glanced back at Ichigo, "Wonderweiss help, White…"

"Hooleer…I have a favor to ask of you. I need you to open a Garganta within the Soul Society when we give the signal," Aizen stated as he addressed the massive hollow.

It stared at Aizen with its one visible eye before turning towards Wonderweiss and Ichigo. The Orange haired hollow nodded, "We will need your help to escape after we retrieve something called the Hogyoku from the Soul Society. Wonderweiss will come with us to help, but we need you to stay in Hueco Mundo and use your Negacion when we call for it."

The colossal hollow seemed to understand his command as it simply shrieked a short howl of confirmation.

Ulquiorra approached and gave Aizen a quizzical look, "How will you give the signal?"

"Hooleer will know. Wonderweiss will call him," the Vasto Lorde interrupted.

"I suppose that works too," Aizen nodded. Though despite the solution, Ichigo and Ulquiorra both couldn't help but wonder what Aizen's original plan was.

"Alright before we go, what is the plan? What are you going to do to retrieve the Hogyoku, and what do you want us to do?" Ichigo asked.

The brown haired captain smiled, "I want you three to wreak as much havoc as possible. While everyone is distracted, I will wipe out Central 46. They are the political body of the Soul Society. After they're gone, I will retrieve Kaname and Gin. We will meet you at Sokyoku Hill shortly afterward…it's the large rock atop the Seireitei. The Hogyoku itself is still present in Rukia Kuchiki. If you could, bring her there…"

"Why is this Hogyoku inside a Shinigami anyways?" Ichigo interrupted.

"That's a long story…but to sum it up, Kisuke Urahara believed she was just powerful enough to keep it safe, but not too powerful in which she would awaken its powers. She herself is likely unaware that she has it. Do not mention it to her until I am ready to extract the Hogyoku," Aizen explained.

"Okay…is there anything else we should know before going in?" the arrancar double checked.

The captain's face remained calm, but his eyes seemed to darken slightly, "Try to avoid fighting the Captain Commander. I doubt even you could survive his bankai. He is the only complication I see in this extraction."

"Let's go then…" Ichigo said anxiously. Aizen smiled as he opened a door to the Soul Society.

"When we get there…try to keep a low profile and mask your spiritual power. I will open the gate for you. Once it's open, we split up. Are you ready?" Aizen asked with a calm joyfulness.

"Ready," Ichigo nodded as he followed behind Aizen with Ulquiorra and Wonderweiss at his sides.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society Gate XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Aizen was quick to get the gate open as he entered the soul society first. He distracted the guard just long enough for the three hollows to slip inside unnoticed. Ichigo and company didn't waste any time heading further into the city as the gate closed behind them.

The guard spoke to Aizen curiously, "It's good to see you back Captain Aizen, though I wasn't expecting you…how goes the hunt for White?"

"He'll show himself eventually," the captain said calmly as he headed off in his own direction.

Further into the Seireitei, Ichigo stopped and landed on a building as he looked over the vast architecture of his infamous foes. He glanced over at Ulquiorra and Wonderweiss, "You two, stay together…go destroy that section of the city. I'm going to find this Rukia Kuchiki. If you need my help, just regroup with me."

Aizen flash stepped behind the three hollows and spoke up, "One more thing I forgot to mention…my other two accomplices are Captains Ichimaru and Tousen. One has short silver hair and the other is blind with darker skin. You'll know them when you see them. If they 'attack you' try to put up a good show would you?"

"How long do you need to wipe out this Central 46?" Ichigo asked.

"The more time the better, but I can expedite the process if necessary. I'll show up to 'confront' you on Sokyoku hill once I'm done…I imagine by then the Captain Commander might become involved. If that happens we will need to leave immediately," Aizen explained the plan.

Ulquiorra interjected calmly, "We should hurry up then…"

"Of course…I'll meet you all at Sokyoku Hill," Aizen said as he flash stepped away.

Ichigo nodded before taking off. He briefly tried to recall Rukia's spiritual signature as he stealthily patrolled the rooftops.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Shinigami Academy XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Karin sat in the corner of the large training room with a look of seriousness plastered on her face. The better part of the day had been spent watching second and third class try to get ranked into first class through skill battles.

The disparity between them wasn't as great as she expected, seeing as how several first class students were defeated and lost their spots. After several hours of that, they had finally reached the first class tournament. As expected, Karin and Ayame both soared through their brackets and were now prepped for the final match.

The entire room whispered and gossiped anxiously as Karin stood up with a calm anger evident. She glared at Ayame with as much fury as her eyes could project. The other girl had a similar glare pointed back. The tense atmosphere in the room had everyone on edge as they watched eagerly for the hated rivals to face off.

"We will now be proceeding into the final match to determine the first and second ranks in class one. However, this match will be in the courtyard arena to avoid as much destruction to school property as possible. If you would, follow me…the rest of the academy will be watching this battle as well," Onabara announced.

The classes all erupted into exciting gossip as they filed out of the large training room. As they followed Onabara outside and around the corner, they soon arrived into a large open area behind the Academy. Karin looked around and noticed hundreds of students seated in what she could only describe as bleachers.

In the middle, there was a drop off arena covered in stone. She guessed it was probably the same kind that made up the gates of the Seireitei, '_I guess that's a good way to keep us from destroying school property…_'

First, second, and third classes all found their respective seats in the bleachers. The first class sat on the front row. Karin glanced around wondering if anyone important was there, but much to her dissatisfaction there wasn't.

Though she did see a few Shinigami standing near the instructors. Only a few of them caught her eye. One was a man with red hair and black facial tattoos. He had an armband, which Karin quickly recognized as a Vice-Captain's symbol. '_What's a Lieutenant doing here?_' Karin thought surprised.

Another Shinigami that seemed curious to her was a short dark haired woman with a serious look on her face. She also appeared to be a Lieutenant much to Karin's surprise. Upon making eye contact with her the woman jaw-dropped at Karin.

'_What is she staring at?_' Karin wondered confused.

Further away, the woman in question was none other than Rukia Kuchiki. The raven haired woman was there out of boredom, but now found herself in a state of disbelief. Rukia focused her gaze on Karin intently, '_I've seen that girl before…she's the one White was following. I thought she was human?_'

"You okay, Rukia?" Renji asked his friend who seemed to be staring at one of the students. She glanced up at him and shook her head, "That girl…with the black hair…I've seen her before. She used to be human."

"What? That's crazy Rukia…you sure she's not someone else?" Renji replied doubtfully.

Rukia glared at him, "She's from Karakura Town…what is she doing here?"

Renji took a closer look at the girl and cocked his head, "Who is she anyways?"

"I guess we'll find out…it looks like she's one of the finalists," Rukia pointed out. One of the nearby instructors eyed Renji curiously, "Lieutenant Abarai, aren't you supposed to be stationed in Karakura Town right now?"

"Yeah I'm just visiting," he shrugged, "Rukia and I thought we'd come by and check out the Ranking match."

"I see, well I'm sure Onabara-sama will be pleased to see his old students again," the instructor nodded.

The loud gossiping and chatting from the crowd quickly died down as Onabara spoke up, "Thank you all for taking this time out of your day's training to attend the annual ranking ceremony. Second and Third class fought hard and several students earned a place within First Class. Never falter in your resolve and you could do the same. Those in First Class…never grow content, for somebody is always there to take your place."

The students all began to clap, and several cheered. They were silenced again as the instructor held his hand up, "However, as is custom, we have saved the final ranking match for the whole Academy to witness. Here we have two girls this year. One is last year's first ranked student, the vigilant prodigy Ayame Yukimura!"

The crowd exploded into cheers as the hot-headed girl leapt down into the courtyard arena. She pulled her white hair up into a ponytail before waving to the crowd. They continued to cheer and several boys even whistled in approval.

"And here we have this year's challenger…she's brand new to the school and has already proven herself amongst the strongest. Many of you may remember her violent outburst in the lunchroom recently…the heir of the Shiba Clan…the fearsome Karin Shiba!" Onabara pointed.

'_Way to make me sound like the villain…_' Karin thought as she sent an annoyed look at the man.

'_Shiba?! She's related to Kaien?!_' Rukia thought shocked.

There was a strange mixture of boos and cheers from the crowd. It seemed fairly divided amongst the crowd, but Karin was quick to notice the students of First Class either booing or remaining silent. She cracked a fist before jumping down to face Ayame.

"I'm going to make you pay for hurting Nariko!" Ayame announced. It was completely obvious to Karin that she was trying to portray herself as the hero.

It seemed quite effective as the crowd began to cheer for her. Karin simply sighed to herself, '_I should have just stayed back in the World of the Living_.'

"For this match, it will continue until one party is unable to fight. We have medics on hand…I want no fatalities. Is that understood?!"

"Yes sir," Karin and Ayame replied simultaneously.

"Bow!" he said sternly.

Both girls bowed very slowly keeping their eyes locked on each other.

"Begin!" Onabara shouted.

No sooner had the words left his mouth, Ayame came dashing in with her standard quick draw. It seemed much faster than usual as she swung her blade with as much strength and speed as she could muster. Karin narrowly managed to block it and slid back several feet.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Ayame followed up with a devastating whirlwind of strikes. It quickly became clear to Karin that this girl was actually trying to hurt her. She swiftly ducked from an overextended slash and roundhouse kicked Ayame's side.

This time the other girl wasn't caught off guard as she feinted sideways. She twisted her sword back and spun around hoping to slice Karin from behind. Her attack was about to hit, but for some reason, Karin's perception of reality began to slow down considerably. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she ducked forward. Leaning towards the ground, Karin kicked back hitting one of Ayame's legs, before spinning into a leg sweep.

Time sped up to normal again as Karin sent Ayame tripping to the ground. The crowd gasped at the amazing feat of speed, especially Karin's supporters. She briefly glanced at the audience and saw quite a few people cheering for her.

"Get her Shiba!" some random student yelled.

Karin immediately shifted focus back to Ayame and saw the girl quickly rise to her feet. The white haired prodigy growled angrily, "What's the point in dancing around like this…I'll go full power with my shikai right now!"

Rukia watched surprised as one of the girls summoned a twin bladed glaive, '_An academy student with a Shikai? No wonder she was ranked first…but that Karin girl was human. She's going to kill her!_'

"Woah…academy students have Shikais now?" Renji said somewhat surprised.

"C'mon Shiba! Show everyone that pretty Shikai of yours! I want to see what you think you can do with it!" Ayame taunted.

The Kurosaki girl held the blade outstretched, "If beating you down is what it takes to shut you up then fine…I've had enough of you trying to antagonize me."

Rukia's eyes widened, '_NO way! Is she about to…_'

"Rise Aoigetsu!" Karin said angrily.

Her Zanpakuto quickly formed into the beautiful black broadsword from the other day. Rukia stared in amazement at the faint blue glow it seemed to radiate.

"A battle with Shikais?!" one of the second class students said disbelievingly, "this is too amazing for words!"

Karin gripped her sword with both hands and clutched it tightly. She stood patiently as she waited for Ayame to attack first. The other girl appeared much more cautious than in their lunch battle. It was likely she feared the wave that Karin was able to fire from her sword.

"What are you waiting for, Yukimura…come and get me," Karin baited.

"You must think I'm a fool…that wave attack of yours won't catch me off guard again. You never even got to see what my Shikai was capable of doing," Ayame said confidently.

"Then show me…" Karin replied.

Ayame's glaive almost seemed to vibrate as she spun it in a flourishing pattern. At first it appeared to have no effect other than making her look cool, but Karin quickly realized what was happening. The wind began to pick up in all directions around them as it gathered into a concentrated area around Ayame.

Deciding to go first, Karin charged. She knew she couldn't let Ayame finish what she was doing. Unfortunately, it seemed to be too late as the other girl cleaved in Karin's direction. Despite it being out of range, her attack immediately sent something similar to a tornado flying at her. Karin sped left and tried to pass it, but much to her shock it followed.

During this time, Ayame managed to launch two additional ones. As she waded through the dangerous tornadoes, one of her legs was clipped by the attack. As she suspected, it immediately drew blood leaving a gash across her lower leg.

Karin grimaced painfully, but had no time to recover as she had only avoided the attacks to run into Ayame's range. The white haired girl flurried her glaive fiercely, but was ineffective at breaking through Karin's guard.

Unfortunately, with the encroaching gales from behind, Karin soon found herself cornered, as Ayame wouldn't let up. She knew she was in trouble if she couldn't counterattack in time. Thinking fast, Karin stomped on Ayame's foot quickly ceasing the assault.

With both hands, Karin swung her blade against Ayame, who had no choice but to block the blade. However, as she swung Karin sent the other girl flying back against the wall with a blue wave of energy. With room to move, Karin narrowly evaded the gales as they came tearing behind her.

She charged her shikai again and spun around hoping to push the tornadoes back with an energy cleave. As the blue wave launched from her blade, Karin watched in disbelief as they gales dispersed and reformed. Seizing her opportunity, Ayame created several more, which surrounded the two girls in a massive wall of wind.

It quickly began to close in around them as Ayame charged in again. Knowing that she had no choice, Karin dove through a tiny opening between two of the gales quickly receiving many cuts. Thankfully however, she now had room to charge her weapon again. Holding it overhead, Karin smashed her sword against Ayame's gales in a powerful vertical attack instead of a horizontal slash.

It proved to be much more powerful than her previous energy waves as it completely overwhelmed the gales and blew through Ayame's defenses. The girl tried to avoid the attack, but was shocked as Karin began to launch alternating horizontal and vertical waves, creating a grid pattern.

Ayame managed to cut through several and dodged others, but during this time, Karin closed in and launched another vertical beam at close range. With no options left, Ayame held up her shikai to take the full brunt of the attack and immediately went flying into a wall.

Karin ceased her attacks as she stared over at the girl. Ayame slowly stood up, but looked considerably damaged. She was breathing heavily as she glared at Karin, "You think you're so much better than me, don't you!?"

The Kurosaki girl simply stood there with an angry stare, '_She's still trying to make me seem like the bad guy here…_'

Meanwhile up in the stands, Rukia walked up to Onabara with a concerned expression, "Is this really appropriate?! You're letting academy students try to kill each other down there!"

"Kuchiki-dono, I understand your concern, but it is unnecessary. Do not question my methods. The ranking match is always like this," he dismissed.

"Like hell it is! Does the Captain-Commander know that you're letting two students try to kill each other with their Shikais?!" Rukia protested.

Renji quickly intervened as he spoke up, "I thought there was a rule against academy students using Shikais if they had it?"

"What would you have me do? Call off the match? We are at war with hollows in case you two weren't aware of that. You came through the academy during peacetime. It was lax then…I will see to it, that the brightest of our new generation Shinigami are prepared for battle," Onabara said sternly causing Rukia to glare and Renji to cross his arms.

The Lieutenant shook his head, "Well you'd better hope neither one them kills the other, because those girls look serious down there."

"Onabara-sensei…when exactly did this Karin Shiba girl appear? I'm pretty sure she was human not too long ago. How did she enroll in the academy?" Rukia asked.

The man shook his head at her, "It seems your brother chose not to inform you…Captain Shiba the former squad ten captain has returned. Karin Shiba is his daughter. He had her enrolled recently with the Captain Commander's approval."

Before Rukia or Renji could reply, their attention was brought back to the match as Ayame shouted, "I'm not done yet, Shiba!"

Karin's Zanpakuto spoke darkly, '_You better take her out soon…this girl doesn't look like the kind to fight fairly._'

During this time, Ayame began to speak an incantation. Rukia watched with surprise as she was quick to recognized one of her own signature abilities. Ayame began to glow red much to Karin's confusion, as she traced symbols in the air.

"Bakudo number 9: Geki!" Ayame shouted.

Karin took her Zanpakuto's advice and tried to go in for the finish, but much to her horror, she was completely immobilized. She glanced down and noticed a red glow covering her own body now which kept her paralyzed.

'_What the heck is this?!_' Karin thought worried.

"You look surprised…don't tell me you have no experience with Kido? Hahaha!" Ayame laughed as she held Karin in place.

She held her glaive up and prepped it for an attack, but before moving she glanced up at Onabara, "It would seem I've won, sensei…I could easily execute her right now."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX With Ulquiorra and Wonderweiss XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The unusual Vasto Lorde looked at Ulquiorra as if expecting him to give a command. The black haired arrancar said nothing as he held up his hand and formed a cero. He aimed it at the landscape Ichigo pointed to and unleashed the blast.

The powerful green and white beam streaked across the horizon as it sliced many buildings apart and unleashed a wave of destruction. Wonderweiss did the same as he charged a purple cero. Both hollows traded a look of approval as they continued to destroy all of the surrounding buildings.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX With Karin XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The students all cheered in adoration at Ayame's clutch comeback. Rukia glanced over at Onabara, "Call off the match…she won."

"It's not over yet…If Karin Shiba values her life, she will find a way out. The match will continue…" Onabara announced causing everyone to quiet down in shock.

Ayame herself appeared uncertain of what to do as she held Karin at a blade's edge. "She can't do anything else…I've won, sensei! Declare me the winner already!"

"Have you won, Yukimura-san?" he questioned.

The girl bit her lip as she glanced back and stared Karin in the eyes, "Surrender, Shiba! I'm the best!"

"No…" Karin said calmly. The Kurosaki girl was quick to catch onto Ayame's dilemma much to the other girl's bitterness.

"F-fine then…" Ayame said somewhat skittishly as she slowly reared her weapon back for a killing blow.

"Onabara-sensei, stop this!" Rukia shouted.

"You're overstepping your authority here, Kuchiki-dono…this is my academy," the man silenced her.

Renji glared at the man, "Sensei, this is ridiculous!"

"Is Ayame really going to kill her?" one of the students in the audience asked. The crowd quickly broke into a frenzy of gossiping whispers.

The moral ramifications of it caused the white haired girl to hesitate again. Finally she released her bakudo and glared angrily, "I beat her! I don't need to kill her! Though if sensei insists on me knocking you out cold then so be it!"

Before Karin could say anything, a massive explosion caught everyone's attention. The entire crowd's gaze shifted to the horizon as they saw green and purple beams streaking across the horizon igniting the landscape.

"What the hell was that?!" Renji shouted shocked as he looked over. Moments later they felt an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy appear out of nowhere. It was so powerful than everything in the Soul Society likely felt it to some degree. The air itself grew heavy as the wind picked up.

Red and black spiritual energy seemed to be radiating on the horizon along with green and purple. Rukia's eyes widened, "That spiritual pressure…it feels like a hollow! Are we under attack?!"

Her question seemed to cause an uproar as the students all began to panic. Onabara was quick to restore order as he projected his voice loudly, "Silence all of you! This match is postponed until we can determine what is happening. Everyone file into the main building in a calm orderly fashion. Lieutenant Abarai will investigate this disturbance. I expect you all to maintain discipline and-"

Before the man could finish his announcement, flash appeared behind him. It made a loud noise and quickly caught everyone off guard. "S-s-s-sensei!" Ayame stuttered in pure terror as she pointed behind him, "behind you!"

The man felt his heart skip several beats as he turned his head, and there his eyes met the golden black eyes of the most infamous hollow in existence. Onabara looked terrified, "W-white?!"

Ichigo jabbed one of his swords through the instructor's back and lifted him off the ground. The hollow king pointed his sword skyward and charged a cero between his horns before blowing the man into dust. As his red and white cero shot into the sky it seemed to set the sky on fire.

The academy students scattered like roaches as they all dispersed and ran for their lives. Ichigo carelessly ignored them as he focused his attention back on the reason for his arrival. He looked at Rukia with a serious glare, "Rukia Kuchiki…you're coming with me."

"H-how do you know my name?!" Rukia gasped.

"What are we going to do?! He killed Onabara-sensei! How is White in the Soul Society?!" Ayame said in hysteria.

Renji immediately jumped in front of Rukia and drew his Zanpakuto, "Get away from her you monster!"

"Monster? You act like you know what a real monster is…" Ichigo said carelessly.

"Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji shouted as he summoned his Shikai.

"Renji, don't fight him! You can't win!" Rukia said fearfully.

The red haired Lieutenant growled angrily, "How did you get here? Your kind can't enter the Soul Society!"

"How does it feel knowing you can't strike out at us from your alleged impenetrable stronghold anymore? I've grown tired of you Shinigami trying to kill me," Ichigo said menacingly.

Karin could barely believe how cruel the hollow sounded, '_There's no way that thing is Ichigo! He wouldn't say things like that_.'

"What do you want?! Is this an invasion?!" Rukia demanded.

Ichigo slowly began to walk closer, "If it was, you would already be dead…now come with me, Shinigami girl!"

"You're not getting near her!" Renji said bravely as he swung his snake sword at Ichigo. One cleave was all it took to completely shatter the Shikai.

Renji went flying back from the sheer force behind the attack and now found it nearly impossible to get up due to the immense pressure. Rukia stood frozen in fear as her legs began to shake.

"Hey, White!" Karin shouted catching Ichigo's attention. He immediately recognized the voice and spun around disbelievingly.

Ichigo examined the Shinigami uniform and the evident Shikai in her hands before speaking, "Karin…what are you doing here?"

"Rukia, get out of here! He's after you!" Renji tried say as quietly as he could. The woman appeared seriously conflicted as she glanced between Renji and Ichigo who now appeared very interested in Karin.

Karin stared at him and shook her head, "What the hell did you do to Ichigo!?"

"What do you mean by that?" he asked surprised by her question.

Rukia took this opportunity to run to Renji's side. He appeared able to stand again and was quick to pull her away, "C'mon Rukia, we need to get out of here."

"We can't just leave these kids though," She protested, but had no choice as Renji dragged her away. Ichigo sensed them fleeing but decide to ignore it since the sight of Karin was far more important to him at the moment.

Ayame, who was lying fear stricken on the ground, glanced at Karin disbelievingly, "Shiba, what are you doing?! That's White!"

"Shiba? Since when have you gone by that name?" Ichigo asked her surprised.

"It's my father's name…" Karin answered.

Ichigo glared at her, "Since when?! What the hell are you doing in the Soul Society?!"

"I could say the same to you…White!" Karin shot back.

The hollow shook his head as if disgusted, "Why are you involved in any of this?! You belong in Karakura Town living a normal life!"

"How the hell am I ever supposed to live a normal life after the things I've seen?! You killed Ichi-nii! My brother was a good person, who cared about protecting others! You're just a monster!" Karin shouted.

'_You're just a monster…_' the phrase repeated in his head over and over again, getting louder and louder. He felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. It was similar to the time he first encountered her in the park, but it felt ten times worse.

The horrible emotion he was experiencing felt as if it was constricting his chest as well. Karin raised her blade against him much to his utter disbelief. Ichigo stared at her, '_What is she doing?_'

"Shiba are you crazy?! That thing's going to kill you!" Ayame shouted horrified.

"Just tell me, White…what really happened to Ichigo? What did you hollows do to him?!" Karin demanded.

'_What have they done to pollute her mind like this?! Karin knows I'm me…is she in denial or something?_' he thought angrily.

Karin took this time to look back at Ayame, "Get out of here, Yukimura…I'll hold him off."

"You crazy bitch, don't try to be some kind of hero! That hollow just killed sensei!" she shook her head.

"Just go!" Karin shouted. The white haired girl didn't hesitate another moment as she fled as quickly as she could. She seemed to struggle greatly due to the immense spiritual pressure, but managed to flee nonetheless.

Ichigo and Karin were finally alone now. The hollow King stared down at his teenage sister sadly, "You would really raise a blade against your own brother?"

"My brother died two and a half years ago…you're just the monster that ended up with his soul," Karin said, "and I will free it one of these days."

"You don't know anything about hollows, Karin. Do you seriously believe that I am not Ichigo?" he questioned.

The girl glared, "I know my brother wouldn't take an innocent person hostage! If you are Ichigo…then you aren't the same person Ichi-nii was! Why do you hate the soul society? Why are you killing people?!"

He could tell the conversation was going nowhere, and quickly became frustrated, "Whatever you think you know about the Soul Society and about me is wrong…I don't know how you ended up here, but I guess that doesn't matter at this point. You've already chosen your side. Is Yuzu here too?!"

"No…Yuzu doesn't know anything about our Quincy Mother and Shinigami father…or hollow possessed brother," Karin answered.

Ichigo's eyes widened, "Hollow-possessed?! Hollows aren't demons Karin…and what did you say our parents were?! Our father is NOT a Shinigami…and what did you call mom?"

"It doesn't matter! We're enemies now!" Karin said conclusively. The girl brashly charged and tried to attack, but was immediately disarmed and tripped before she could even process what had happened.

She got up again and charged her Shikai before launching a blue wave at him. He sliced it in half with one of his blades and shook his head, "Stop it Karin! I'm not going to fight my own sister…"

"No! I can't let you go on like this! I can't let dad see you in this state!" She began to cry as she ran at him again. He easily disarmed her before tripping the girl once again. Getting up once more, she tried to charge at him unarmed. Ichigo quickly jabbed both of his swords in the ground and stood still. Karin tried to punch him several times, but it had literally no effect as he stood there stalwartly.

It quickly became clear to her that it would be impossible for her to do any damage with or without her Zanpakuto. Karin half expected Ichigo to kill her as he had a very angry look in his eyes. He stared at her bitterly, "Just get out here…go home."

She stood there powerlessly as Ichigo retrieved his swords and glanced back over at her, "Take care of Yuzu…"

Right as he finished his remark, two figures landed nearby. Ichigo immediately recognized them as captains due to their vast spiritual signatures. One had long white hair, and the other had some kind of pink coat over his Haori.

"My my, what do we have here?" the captain with the pink coat spoke first, "is this the source of all that spiritual energy right now?"

"It is as I feared…this is no ordinary hollow attack. White is here," Ukitake said grimly.

"So this is the boogeyman hollow?" Kyouraku asked interested.

Ukitake nodded, "It would seem so…though he doesn't look how I imagined."

Ichigo looked between the two of them and hissed, "I don't have time for you…"

Without another word, he disappeared with a sonido and chased after Rukia's spiritual pressure. Ukitake glanced over at Kyouraku, "You should go after him. I'll catch up in a moment."

"Don't take too long Jushiro…I don't know how I feel about fighting White by myself," the other captain replied casually before flash stepping after Ichigo.

Ukitake walked over towards Karin and extended a hand to her, "Is everything alright young lady? What happened here? Why did White attack the academy?"

"He was looking for someone…Rukia Kuchiki I think," Karin replied.

The White haired man seemed worried, "What? Is Onabara around anywhere?"

"White killed him with some energy blast…and set the sky on fire," Karin answered.

Kyouraku's Lieutenant quickly arrived much to Jushiro's relief. He glanced at the woman urgently, "Nanao, can you gather up the students and take them somewhere safe? I need to help Shunsui…White is here."

The woman's eyes widened dramatically, "Of course sir…but are you sure?!"

"Yes…take this girl with you," he stated before immediately taking off after Kyouraku.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX With Ulquiorra and Wonderweiss XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ulquiorra and Wonderweiss had been tearing the Seireitei apart with their powerful attacks, and quickly caught the attention of countless Shinigami. They easily dispatched many would be heroes who came in to attack them blindly.

Before long their presence had alerted the attention of several Lieutenants and Captains. One captain had a massive figure and some kind of bucket over his head. To his sides, stood a lean built, dark skinned captain with a blindfold over his eyes. Behind them on either side were what appeared to be their lieutenants based on Ulquiorra's hypothesis.

They all seemed gravely concerned with the hollows being there, minus the dark skinned captain who appeared calm. The massive captain with the bucket over his head spoke first, "You've made a grave mistake attacking the Soul Society hollows!"

He looked at the two of them uncertainly as he tried to take in their appearance. Ulquiorra's broken mask greatly troubled him, "Why is your mask broken? And is that a Zanpakuto!?" Komamura demanded.

Ulquiorra stared passively at him as he charged a cero over his fingers, "That's irrelevant to you, Shinigami…"

"Captain, be careful…" Tetsuzaemon spoke up cautiously, "we don't have the manpower to fight off an army of these guys."

The wolf captain drew his blade, "Bankai! Kokujou Tengen Myou-ou!" Right as Ulquiorra's cero fired a massive, armored demon blocked it with his blade before slicing it in half.

The green eyed Arrancar narrowed his gaze slightly, "A bankai…"

"Wonderweiss, fight captain…you go," The Vasto Lorde told Ulquiorra.

The Arrancar nodded at him before leaving with a Sonido. "Hey get back here! Tousen don't let that hollow run!"

"I will deal with this one…you should go after it," Tousen said calmly.

"Fine…good luck, my friend," the wolf captain nodded before chasing after Ulquiorra. After he left Tousen and his Lieutenant stared down the unusual Vasto Lorde.

"You appear to be a Vasto Lorde…do you have a name?" Kaname asked curiously.

"Captain, there's no point in talking to these things. We need to take this thing down…" Shuuhei stated seriously

Kaname nodded, "True…but we know nothing about why our enemy is here, or how many there are."

"Wonderweiss Margela…" the Vasto Lorde said his name.

Shuuhei seemed confused by the reaction, but Kaname nodded, "Very well, Wonderweiss…show me what you can do."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ulquiorra and Komamura XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Much to Ulquiora's surprise, Komamura managed to catch up to him relatively quick. The massive captain growled angrily, "How many of you are there, hollow?! How did you get through the gates?!"

"Do you intend to stop me?" Ulquiorra asked seriously with as he reached for his blade.

The captain seemed infuriated by his passive attitude and swung his sword. Ulquiorra watched curiously as it moved in conjunction with the giant armored demon. '_He controls the giant through the movement of his own body…_' Ulquiorra noticed as he easily evaded a heavy smash from the captain's bankai.

"If you're so determined to die by my hand, then I won't waste my time avoiding you…" Ulquiorra spoke seriously after easily dodging several more swings.

Komamura's anger quickly rose, but he fell back to a defensive stance and watched curiously as Ulquiorra drew his Zanpakuto, "Enclose Murcielago."

Green and black spiritual energy began to rain across the sky as Ulquiorra transformed into his release form. Komamura was beyond shocked by the display and looked at the wings as if a revelation struck him, "You were that hollow that followed White?! What are you?!"

Ulquiorra charged a cero over his hand again, "You won't live long enough to find out…"

The captain immediately took cover behind his Bankai and prepared himself for the Cero. As he suspected it was much more powerful as it blasted him across the city and crashing into the distance.

Ulquiorra didn't even bother to check if it killed him as he turned around. Floating in the air behind him was a female captain. He eyed her curiously as he noticed the look on her face.

"No hollow could have breached this city undetected…how did you infiltrate the Soul Society, Arrancar?" Unohana asked calmly.

The dark haired hollow was mildly surprised that she knew he was an Arrancar but said nothing as he tried to gauge her power. It was clear that she wasn't a pushover, otherwise she wouldn't have confronted him after his display of power.

"Luz de la Luna," Ulquiorra said as he formed a green javelin of energy in his hand. Unohana watched cautiously as the hollow charged her with it. Much to Ulquiorra's surprise, her speed matched his own. She drew her blade and parried it.

He didn't hesitate to keep attacking, but as he swung in for a second slice, Unohana turned her blade and sent him off trajectory. Ulquiorra disappeared with a sonido a considerable distance away before creating a second Luz de la Luna in his free hand.

Unohana expected him to dual wield them as Ulquiorra came in for another round, but much to her surprise he threw one towards the ground as he got closer in range. She briefly glanced down and watched as the javelin released a colossal explosion beneath them.

Ulquiorra reappeared behind her with another sonido and his threw his second weapon directly at her. She managed to dodge it, barely, but was now blinded by the two explosions. The bat arrancar took the opportunity form another one as he tried to stab her through the chest.

Unohana deflected it with her blade and followed up with a counterstrike, but much to her surprise she didn't see Ulquiorra there. She tried to sense him, but wasn't able to accurately detect his spiritual energy with the aftereffects of his attacks still dying down.

By the time she sensed his spiritual pressure, it was too late to notice that he had been charging a cero beneath her. The captain flash stepped out of its trajectory and watched wide eyed, '_That attack could have done real damage…I can't let him hit me with one of those._'

Ulquiorra reappeared in front of her again and stared seriously, "You're quite strong Shinigami…more than I expected."

The sound of stomping and heavy breathing quickly interrupted them as the furious Komamura managed to rejoin the battle. "Captain Unohana…please let me handle this one."

"As you wish…" she said calmly as she retreated further back.

Ulquiorra glanced at the woman, '_She's far more powerful than he is…I wonder why she's holding back against me?_'

"Your cero was strong, hollow…but I won't be taken down that easily. You'll pay for brazenly attacking the Soul Society!" Komamura roared.

The black haired hollow glanced into the distance as he sensed Ichigo's rising power, '_I hope he's working fast…I don't think it's wise to fight these captains for too long. I don't sense any of the ones that attacked us in the World of the Living. We might be in trouble if they all come back._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX With Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It didn't take him long to track down Rukia and Renji, both of whom were running as fast as they could to the Squad One Barracks.

"Hurry up, Rukia! If we can make it to the Captain Commander, then we'll stand a better chance!" Renji said urgently.

The raven haired woman nodded as she ran alongside him as fast as possible. Both immediately stopped in their tracks as a white and orange blur appeared in front of them. Ichigo stopped in front of Rukia and Renji with a terrifying look in his eyes, "Going somewhere?"

"Oh damn! We're screwed!" Renji said fearfully as the hollow king slowly walked towards them.

Rukia gritted her teeth at the hollow before mustering her courage, "What do you want with me?! Tell me and I'll go with you!"

"Rukia, don't!" Renji said, but was quickly interrupted.

"You're in no position to bargain with me…" Ichigo shook his head.

Right as he finished his statement, Ichigo felt two very powerful spiritual signatures land next to him. He looked around slowly and noticed two captains.

He immediately recognized them as the ones that confronted him from earlier. "Captain Ukitake, Captain Kyouraku!" Renji sighed in relief as the two powerful Shinigami approached.

"Rukia get out of here…" Ukitake said seriously as he drew his Zanpakuto. Kyouraku did the same, "Normally I don't bring out my Shikai right away…but for White I'll make an exception."

Ichigo watched curiously as the two captains summoned their Shikais. Much to his surprise they were both dual wielders like himself.

"Rukia, c'mon let's go!" Renji called out to her. Kyouraku glanced at her, "Go find old man Yama…tell him we're dealing with White."

"Yes captain!" Rukia bowed before leaving with Renji.

Ichigo growled as he tried to chase after them, but couldn't as both captains moved to block his path. He tried to cleave through them, but that simply began a six bladed onslaught.

Both captains moved with incredible agility as they fought against Ichigo's attacks. They moved at different tempos making it difficult for him to parry both effectively. Several attacks managed to break through Ichigo's guard, but simply left minor cuts much to the captains' surprise.

Finally, annoyed with their holding him back, Ichigo crossed both blades and unleashed them, "Getsuga Jujisho!"

The named attack that fired from his blades was so powerful at point blank range that it sent both captains flying along a cross shaped wave of black energy. It blasted through the Seireitei obliterating everything in its path before finally erupting in one of the outer districts in a blackened red nova of pure energy.

It seemed to create an earthquake as an after effect along with a deafening explosion. With the two captains no longer blocking him, Ichigo chased after Rukia's trail again. He moved with incredible speed as he hunted them down.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX With Ulquiorra XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ulquiorra, Komamura, and Unohana all stopped what they were doing as they saw a cross shaped wave of black energy explode into the distance. The sight actually seem to shock Unohana who looked at it disbelievingly, "I can't ignore that, Captain Komamura…"

"Go! I'll be fine!" the wolf captain replied.

Ulquiorra stared at the aftermath of Ichigo's attack, '_He must be in a bad mood…I should wrap this battle up quickly. Something like that is bound to call in all of their reinforcements._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX With Aizen XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The malicious captain Aizen and his loyal right hand man Gin Ichimaru watched the footage of Ichigo's attack. Gin's eyes actually opened widely as he saw the pure destruction it caused, "It's amazing you were able to tame such a powerful hollow, Captain Aizen…that attack likely would have killed them had it not been for Captain Ukitake's Shikai."

"Yes…Ichigo Kurosaki has grown far more powerful than I expected. His cooperation came at a price however. We're not running the show…at least not officially, but he seems malleable enough to agree with me. For now it's sufficient enough for me," Aizen noted as he turned around.

Behind them were the bodies of Central 46 each sitting dead in their own seats or sprawled across the room in a pool of blood. Gin shook his head, "Something like that is bound to get the Captain Commander involved."

"That's not the only problem we have right now…" Aizen sighed as he changed the camera footage to an opening door from the World of the Living. Through it came five captains, their lieutenants, and countless Shinigami reinforcements.

Gin chuckled, "I guess we better get out of here…I hope you have a plan?"

"Of course…let's go to Sokyoku Hill," Aizen nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxXXXXXXXXXXXX Newly Arrived Captains XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The five captains that had been stationed in Karakura Town were immediately recalled by Captain Kurotsuchi after the attack began. Each of them had their own two cents to throw out as they made their way back into the Soul Society.

Soifon stared in disbelief at the devastation, "What the hell is happening?! How did hollows infiltrate the Seireitei?!"

"White…he's here!" Isshin said seriously as he cracked a fist.

"Hell yeah! I've been waiting for a rematch with that horned bastard!" Kenpachi chuckled cheerfully.

"Oooh! So White really is in the Seireitei?! Let's go get him, Kenny!" Yachiru chirped joyously.

Byakuya narrowed his gaze, "I sense immense spiritual pressure in several areas…the strongest of which is near Sokyoku Hill. Let's go…"

Hitsugaya gritted his teeth, "That bastard will pay for this! How did he slip by us in the World of the Living? Hollows can't invade the Soul Society like this!"

"This is…impossible," Rangiku shook her head as she looked around at the burning horizon. Their arrival was quickly met by Unohana's Lieutenant.

The tall white haired woman spoke urgently, "Thank heaven you're all back! Captain Unohana went ahead to stop White. He's on a rampage!"

"Where is the Captain Commander? Isn't he going to stop this?!" Hitsugaya demanded.

"I don't know…but we should regroup!" she replied.

"Where are Captains Ukitake and Kyouraku?!" Soifon questioned as the Shinigami leaders made their way closer towards the source of spiritual energy.

Isane shook her head, "I don't know…they went to investigate an attack at the academy and that's the last I've heard from them."

"The Academy?! Karin!" Isshin said furiously as he sped in front of the pack. '_If White has laid one finger on her, I'll murder that fiend!_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Hollow King landed atop Sokyoku Hill, where Rukia and Renji were now cornered. He couldn't help but wonder if it was a mere coincidence that they came here, but his thoughts were pushed aside as a lone figure landed in front of him.

Ichigo stood across from an old, bald man with a long white beard. He had noticeable scars and carried a cane. It didn't take him long to figure out who it was, "So…you must be the Captain Commander?" Ichigo asked.

"And you must, White…" Yamamoto countered.

"Did you come to fight me old man?" Ichigo asked seriously.

"I do not know how you broke into the Seireitei, or what you're after, but I will not allow you to continue unopposed!" the Captain Commander shouted.

Ichigo glared at him, "Get out of my way…"

"You will not touch the Sokyoku, hollow!" the head captain bellowed.

'_What is the Sokyoku? I thought that was the name of this hill? What does he think I'm after?_' Ichigo wondered.

"Head Captain, be careful…I don't know how, but he managed to shake Captains Kyouraku and Ukitake both off of him in their Shikai states!" Renji interjected.

The Old man pounded his cane against the ground, "Go! Get out of here…it seems I am the only one capable of dealing with this hollow!"

Neither Rukia, nor Renji had to be told twice as they immediately took off again. Ichigo didn't try chasing after them as he stared down Yamamoto. '_It figures I would have to fight him…I guess Aizen's going to have to get the girl._' Ichigo sighed.

"Then deal with me…if you can!" Ichigo taunted.

The old man's cane quickly dissipated as a Zanpakuto was revealed to be inside of it. The Captain Commander deep breathed slowly as he threw off his Haori revealing the super toned, but heavily scarred body of a warrior.

"You think you're the first hollow to grow this bold? I slew dozens like you back in my youth. Your death will be no different!" Yamamoto exclaimed as he drew his sword.

"You grossly underestimate me." Ichigo said darkly.

"I have underestimated nothing. Anything that bleeds can be slain…no hollow has ever stood as my equal in battle. What makes you think you're any different?" Yamamoto stated violently.

"Because I'm the King of the Hollows…" Ichigo replied. Yamamoto cracked a fist at his response and snorted in disgust. It was evident to Ichigo that the very idea of such a thing enraged Yamamoto.

Ichigo stood there cautiously as he remembered Aizen's warning about the Captain Commander's bankai. He wasn't sure what the old man was about to do and simply remained calm as he weighed his options.

"King of the Hollows you say? Prove that strength to me then, White! It has been a long time since I've had to use my Shikai. Let us see if you are even worthy of that! Reduce all Creation to Ash!" Yamamoto roared.

Ichigo immediately felt the temperature around them skyrocket as Yamamoto's sword caught on fire. "Jokaku Enjo!" The Old man waved it in a circle quickly surrounding the entire Hill in an inferno. The hollow king looked around concerned, '_There's no way out…but through him._'

The head captain breathed deeply as he amplified the surrounding fire to near unbearable levels of heat. Ichigo felt himself sweating profusely from it, but thankfully his hierro managed to shield him from the worst of the heat.

"You will be cast down like all who came before you!" Yamamoto roared as he amplified the fire around his sword even greter. The orange haired hollow said nothing as he charged into battle.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Wonderweiss XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kaname and Wonderweiss had been back in forth in a faux battle, but quickly stopped what they were doing when they both noticed the fire from Sokyoku Hill ignite in the distance.

The blind captain's mind began to race, '_This is bad…we need to regroup with Aizen-sama immediately…_'

Without a word, he left looking for his superior.

Wonderweiss stared at the fire concerned, "White needs help." He wasted no time making his way towards the Hill.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo and Yamamoto XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

They both moved with incredible speed and power as they smashed blades against one another.

Yamamoto definitely had the advantage in strength as he managed to overpower Ichigo's parries, but due to the hollow's superior speed, he didn't have enough time to land a second hit.

Yamamoto fought like flaming juggernaut as he charged Ichigo relentlessly hacking away with near godlike strength. One of his swings actually managed to knock one of Ichigo's swords out of his grip.

Without stopping, Yamamoto brought his Shikai down in a tremendous cleave sending another inferno towards Ichigo. This forced Ichigo further away from his disarmed blade and gave Yamamoto the perfect opportunity to charge him again.

As the flaming Shinigami closed in on him, Ichigo charged a cero between his horns and as much spiritual energy over his remaining blade as possible. "Getsuga Tenshou!" He roared as he cleaved the blade against Yamamoto's flaming Shikai. He simultaneously fired the cero from his horns along with it.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Incoming Reinforcements XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

All of the arriving Captains and Lieutenants had finally arrived at the source of power only in time to see fire surrounding the hill. Outside of it, they spotted Unohana who stared wide-eyed, "The Captain Commander is fighting White…everyone stay back. That fire will engulf you if you get to close."

Isshin grimaced angrily, "Damn it! We're too late?!"

"How many hollows are here, Captain Unohana?" Byakuya asked immediately.

"I believe three…" she answered.

"Three?! Are kidding me?!" Toshiro said as he looked back at the trail of destruction caused by Ichigo's Getsuga Jujisho.

Much to their approval, two additional figures quickly arrived. "So Old Man Yama's fighting that thing now?" Kyouraku asked surprised.

Both he and Ukitake appeared somewhat injured, but otherwise okay. "White is after Rukia Kuchiki…have any of you seen her?" the white haired captain asked, but his question was ignored as a streak of black red spiritual energy went flying through the flame wall followed by a cero. As the cero arced across the sky, it sent a chain reaction of explosions everywhere, and blew Yamamoto's fire back.

Everyone looked up in disbelief as they witnessed the Head Captain fighting Ichigo. The flame wall was blasted back as Ichigo swung his sword. Yamamoto himself quickly recovered from his attack, but not in time to stop Ichigo from retrieving his disarmed blade.

With both of them now in hands he stared the captain down with fury, "Getsuga Jujisho!"

"Captain Commander get out of the way!" Ukitake shouted.

The old man was somewhat surprised to see all of the captains gathered there, and grunted in annoyance, "Why are all of you standing around?! Aren't there two more hollows lose in the Seireitei?!"

As Ichigo unleashed his double crossed attack, Yamamoto gathered fire into his blade to counter it. However, right as he was about to swing his blade, the fire on his sword began to recede.

"What is this?!" Yamamoto bellowed as his fire considerably weakened for some unknown reason. It was then he noticed a Vasto Lorde land nearby.

He immediately braced himself as Ichigo's Getsuga Jujisho hit his weakened blade. He was unable to stop it and quickly found himself airborne as the wave shot him into the distance.

Everyone stared in utter horror at Wonderweiss and Ichigo. "Captain Commander!" Hitsugaya shouted shocked.

"What are you all standing around for?! Move in, Take that bastard down!" Soifon ordered.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Kenpachi laughed as he and all of the other captains landed atop the Sokyoku Hill.

"Thanks for the help, Wonderweiss…" Ichigo nodded respectfully at his ally, "Where's Ulquiorra?"

Quickly answering his question, a green cero fired into the crowd of captains. Ichigo glanced back and noticed Ulquiorra land behind him. Despite the cero, the captains quickly reformed into a semicircle as they got into attack stances.

"White!" Isshin shouted angrily as he walked forward with a look of hatred in his eyes, "do you remember me?!"

Ichigo's eyes widened as he saw a horrific sight before him. His father…his goofy, overbearing, simpleton father was wearing a Shinigami uniform and had a Zanpakuto.

'_Then what Karin said was true…dad's a Shinigami?! What the hell does that make me?!_' Ichigo thought shocked.

"He looks different than the last time we encountered him…as does his ally," Hitsugaya was quick to point out.

"They're arrancars now…" Unohana clarified, "broken masked hollows. They wield Shinigami and Hollow powers."

"That's an abomination!" Soifon growled.

"Answer me, White! Do you know who I am?! I'm the man whose son you killed! Whose wife and daughter you attacked!" Isshin shouted.

Ichigo stared at him searing in anger, "Your name is Isshin Kurosaki…and you own a clinic."

"What?" several people said at the same time as they glanced over at Isshin uncertainly. The dark haired man gave Ichigo an uncertain look, "So you've been watching me all this time then?! Waiting to inflict as much harm as you could! Waiting for your revenge?! I swear to God himself that if you touched Karin, I will murder you!"

Ichigo said nothing as he glanced over at Wonderweiss. The Vasto Lorde seemed to instinctively understand what Ichigo wanted him to do. The hollow knew they would have to call for negacion soon.

Rukia and Renji regrouped with the large crowd of the Gotei 13 as they noticed the reinforcements. Rukia sighed in relief, "Captain Ukitake…you're alright. Thank heaven."

"We've got them cornered, everyone keep your guard up…" Soifon stated with her usual irritated voice.

"Where are the rest of the captains?" Rukia asked. As if this were his cue, Aizen quickly appeared with Gin and Kaname at his sides.

Momo, as well as several other Lieutenants also arrived somewhat sporadically. They all appeared relieved by Aizen's arrival.

"Well it would seem we're all here now…" Aizen smiled.

"I don't see the Captain Commander anywhere," Gin said being a smartass.

A loud thud sounded from behind, which Ichigo quickly turned around and noticed to be a massive captain with a weird helmet on. "You're still alive?" Ulquiorra said surprised.

"White!" Komamura shouted as he tried to land a blow with his massive bankai.

Ichigo cut the giant back with one swing of his sword and brought Komamura to his knees. The wolf captains helmet shattered as blood poured from his wounds.

Looking back to the horrified crowd of Shinigami, Ichigo started to laugh, "You all think you're invincible sitting here in your impenetrable Seireitei…you think you can kill my kind without any consequence?! I protect the hollows…"

"Why were you after me then?! What is it that you want, White?!" Rukia asked once again.

Aizen smiled as he flash stepped behind Rukia. Nobody saw it coming as he reached inside of her and ripped out a small looking orb of some kind.

The Shinigami woman doubled over in pain causing every captain and lieutenant to jaw drop as Aizen walked over to Ichigo's side. "Captain Aizen, what are you doing?! Explain yourself?!"

"Rukia!" Byakuya said seriously, but still without much emotion as he ran over towards his sister. Aizen held the orb up for all of the Shinigami to see, "It would seem my time here has ended…I'm off to seek greater heights."

"What the hell?!" Toshiro roared, "Damn you!" he immediately unleashed his bankai charging at Aizen but before he could react in time, one of his wings was sliced off. Soifon tried to move in for a quick attack as well, but was instantly stopped as Gin's sword came shooting in front of her face.

Kaname and Gin both walked over towards Aizen's sides as well creating an uproar of confusion. Rangiku spoke for the first time, "Gin, what are you doing?!"

"Kaname?!" Komamura shouted shocked.

"What are you fools doing?! You're in league with White?!" Soifon gasped.

Unohana held up her arm to stop Kenpachi who looked as if he was about to charge in. The woman stared at them all seriously, "You're all surrounded…do you really intend to fight your way out of here?"

Before they could answer, a heavily scarred, and very pissed off Yamamoto landed nearby. Upon seeing Aizen Ichimaru, and Tousen standing at White's sides he cracked a fist, "Captains Aizen, Tousen, and Ichimaru…Explain yourselves! Why do you stand with White?!"

"I guess you'll never know…" Aizen shrugged with an evil grin.

Momo shook her head, "Captain Aizen?! How could you?! Why betray us?! What have you done to Rukia?!"

"Before we go, Aizen…there's one last thing I wanted to tell Isshin Kurosaki," Ichigo cut in.

Everyone watched with anticipation as Ichigo locked gazes with his furious father, "I didn't kill Ichigo…"

Suddenly, his release form began to recede. Slowly but surely, pieces of his mask flaked off until only the upper left part and one horn remained. His dual blades reformed into a simple white katana that immediately sheathed itself.

Isshin felt his heart stop at the sight before him. Ichigo's golden black eyes radiated anger as his orange hair blew in the wind, "I am Ichigo."

The man was frozen in disbelief that his deepest darkest fear turned out to be one hundred percent true. Everyone gasped at the news. "Wait…so White's your son?!" Soifon clarified as she looked at Isshin.

"That's it, I'm not waiting anymore!" Kenpachi brushed off Unohana as he ran in furiously. Much to his annoyance, Kaname and Gin both blocked him.

Ichigo scoffed, "Let's get out of here…Wonderweiss, do it."

The Vasto Lorde let out a deafening howl quickly causing everyone to reach for their ears. Afterward they were shocked to see a Garganta open up overhead.

"What the hell?! A Garganta here?! How is that possible?!" Ukitake gasped.

Kyouraku traded a look of seriousness with Yamamoto. The Captain Commander tried to deliver one final attack against Ichigo, but right as it got in range six golden lights shot down through the open Garganta. Within it, everyone could see the silhouette of a colossal one eyed hollow and countless Gillians.

"Everyone get back…that's Negacion. It's impossible to touch them now," Yamamoto growled angrily as Ichigo, Aizen and everyone else rose up in the golden light.

"What is there to gain from betraying us Aizen?!" Ukitake asked.

"Everything…" was all he said in response as he pulled off his glasses and slicked back his hair.

Ichigo took one last look over the distraught faces of the Soul Society leadership before he and the others were brought into the hands of gillians. The massive Garganta closed promptly behind them.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

These chapters just keep getting longer and longer…14 thousand words is probably a bit long. Okay kids, I made a super long chapter for you about all the good soul society action. Hopefully it was packed with all the things you wanted to see. Now that our heroes (or villains I guess you could say) have the Hogyoku, Hueco Mundo is about to undergo a radical transformation!

So anyways a few things I wanted to mention. Obviously the betrayal scene wasn't going to be the exact same since this is an alternate timeline and what not. A lot of the battles in this chapter were mostly previews to what's coming in the real war. Of course I haven't forgotten about the Quincies…they and Yuzu will have their appearance soon. I don't remember who mentioned it, but I hope you like the way things "backfired" on Onabara. As for Rukia, don't worry she's not dead. I may have plans for her in the not too distant future. Until next time…faithful readers.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Sending a Message**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Sokyoku Hill XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Pure disbelief was the unanimous emotion shared by the vast majority of high ranking Shinigami present. Isshin's face was a mixture of terror and fury. The man balled his fists enraged, "Damn it! Getsuga Tensho!"

Ripping his Zanpakuto out of its sheath, Isshin swung Engetsu with full force towards the closing Garganta. His attack proved to be ineffective and too late as the wave simply went flying into the air. Isshin gritted his teeth as he shook with anger. Stabbing his blade into the ground he howled, "Ichigo!"

"Captain Shiba, control yourself…they're gone," Kyouraku was quick to intervene as he placed a hand on Isshin's shoulder. The dark haired former captain looked over the reactions of his fellow Shinigami. They were all staring at him with wide eyes and distrustful glares.

"Rukia, are you alright?!" Ukitake ran over to check on the condition of his Lieutenant. Thankfully, she appeared to be conscious still, but the raven haired woman was not in good condition. Unohana and Isane both ran to her sides as well and immediately began medical treatment.

As this happened, Yamamoto retrieved his Haori and approached Isshin with a stone-faced stare, "Captain Shiba…can you confirm that what White said is true? Is that creature truly your son?"

Minus Isane, and Unohana, everyone else turned to eye Isshin suspiciously as if he was somehow at fault for what just happened. The former captain glanced over the crowd and sighed, "He certainly looked like Ichigo…but with longer hair and those evil eyes."

"It used your trademark ability, Getsuga Tensho, against me in battle…" Yamamoto shook his head.

"You should have told us this sooner! White is your son?! That's ridiculous!" Soifon said condescendingly.

Byakuya stood up from Rukia's side and gave Isshin a quizzical look, "You mentioned your children were humans…and that your son had died in a hollow attack. How could this have come to pass?"

"I don't know…the night Ichigo died, he was attacked by a hollow. The only person who saw what happened was Karin…" the man trailed off.

Yamamoto raised a brow, "How long ago was his death?"

"Around two and a half years ago…Karin told me a hollow attacked Ichigo, and killed him. I don't see how it's possible for him to have become the same hollow that attacked Masaki decades ago. Unless…" Isshin shook his head.

"Unless what?!" Soifon demanded.

"You remember me mentioning that White did not die in a traditional way the first time I faced it correct? It tried to infect my wife through some strange type of hollowfication…but we managed to cure it at great expense. Masaki and I both lost our powers after that day," the former captain elaborated.

"What does that mean though?" Byakyua questioned doubtfully, "I am curious as to what your definition of 'cure' was?"

"When Masaki and I lost our powers, it was to suppress and eradicate the hollow. We had no reason to believe it unsuccessful after our powers went away. The only possibility that can explain this is perhaps White latched onto our son's soul somehow…before he was born." Isshin pieced together.

Byakuya looked a bit spooked by the man's revelation and held his head down, "Such a thing would be disturbing indeed…though it does explain how this could have happened."

Ukitake walked over and gawked at Isshin, "Are you saying that this hollow fused with your son's soul? How is that possible? What was he like before…he died? Did you ever sense any malicious instincts in him?"

The white haired captain's hesitation in speech was a clear sign that he was just as disturbed by the news as everyone else.

"Ichigo was spiritually adept from birth…I knew he would be since his mother and I both were as well. He had a mostly normal life, and was a good person. He might have been a bit of a hot head, but I always thought he'd make a good Shinigami since he usually helped Pluses. I just don't understand how he could have warped into that abomination," Isshin sighed.

"What else can you tell us about the original White, Captain Shiba?" Toshiro joined in inquisitively.

The man shrugged, "Not much…it fought like a Shinigami and was completely black. I don't know where the name White even came from. I don't know much about the nature of hollowfication, but I refuse to believe my son would willingly inflict this much damage. When he died…that darker part of his soul must have manifested. There's no way of knowing if that is in fact the same Ichigo as my son."

"Hollows are driven almost purely by instinct…the original White's personality may have twisted your son's into a completely new one. Not to mention…most are willing to do anything to survive," Unohana agreed.

"Don't even tell me you're trying to justify what just happened here! That hollow is serious threat to the Soul Society…no to the balance of everything. Whether he's your son or not, he needs to be brought down!" Komamura cut in. The massive wolf man was clutching his wounded side as he limped over towards the group.

Many of the others were surprised by his wolf like appearance, but nobody said anything about it. Isshin looked down shamefully, "I agree, Captain Komamura…I cannot overlook Ichigo's actions. I don't know what he has become, but I know that he must be stopped. I will not hesitate to do what must be done…"

Everyone watched Isshin intently, taking in his emotional, but serious remark as genuine. After a brief silence, Yamamoto spoke up, "He referred to himself as the King of Hollows…a title I find preposterous."

"What?!" Hitsugaya gasped, "can such a thing even exist?! Hollows are always killing each other…how could they possibly have a King?"

"White has a way of influencing other hollows…we've seen it before. If he manages to unite multiple Vasto Lordes against us, then we may very well be in serious trouble. Not to mention…with three rogue captains at his side, we will face a crippling disadvantage. Aizen's likely going to tell them all about our powers and defenses," Kyouraku sighed.

"We need to catch that monster and lock him away in Muken, if you ask me…" Soifon interjected seriously.

Kyouraku gave her a doubtful look, "I doubt that is the kind of hollow we could capture. But it may very well come to that, depending on how powerful he becomes."

"We need to act fast! The longer we leave that thing free to gather allies, the worse off we'll be," Komamura stated.

"Calm yourselves…he may be powerful, but we are not outnumbered. There has never been any proof to suggest that there's even a handful of Vasto Lordes in Hueco Mundo. What are the chances White could unite them all?" Ukitake questioned.

His remark was met with a few doubtful faces, but was soon overlooked as Yamamoto turned towards Rukia, "What was it that Sosuke Aizen took from Rukia Kuchiki?"

Answering his question, a painted face captain with a strange headpiece landed nearby, "That would be the Hogyoku, Captain Commander…"

Isshin's eyes widened, "We should probably bring Kisuke here to explain why Aizen would be after something like that."

"Send word for him immediately…tell former Captain Urahara that I will forgive his transgressions if he agrees to come out of hiding. It would appear his accusations against Captain Aizen weren't unfounded after all," Yamamoto gestured. Kurotsuchi immediately left upon hearing the command. His lack of questioning clearly indicated that he had been watching their conversation from afar or likely on video. His awareness to the situation appeared no different than the others.

Rukia, was somewhat more stable now and gave Isshin a weak look, "What did Ichigo want from me?"

"Don't call him that…I will not disgrace my own son's name any longer. That hollow's name is _White…_and he wanted the Hogyoku no doubt. If he was in league with Aizen, then he likely seeks to use it to empower himself…or others," Isshin sighed.

Kenpachi placed his sword over his shoulder and grunted in approval, "Well, now I have even more of a reason to kill that hollow."

"Don't be ridiculous…White would annihilate you Zaraki. Hell he could probably devastate any of us one on one. Minus the captain commander of course…" Soifon pointed out, "we're going to have to work together to bring him down. The way that other hollow helped White against Captain Yamamoto is proof enough that he's not going to fight fair. Hollows don't have honor, Zaraki."

"Bah…who needs honor? I just want to fight something that isn't pathetic. I could take him at full strength," Kenpachi boasted eagerly.

Kyouraku shrugged, "Suit yourself…he wasn't even trying and he nearly killed Jushiro and myself."

"That's what I'm talking about…finally an enemy that I can go full power against!" the spiky haired warrior grinned with bloodlust.

"We don't know the limit to his power yet…even without that Vasto Lorde's interference, he was going toe to toe with the Captain Commander. That is nothing to overlook here…" Byakuya cut in somewhat morbidly.

Ukitake glanced over at the head captain curiously, "How would you gauge his power now that you've faced him for yourself head captain?"

Yamamoto grunted in response, "It is difficult to say. His mission here was for the Hogyoku…had he come with the intent to conquer us, I might have had to use my bankai. I have not faced a hollow that powerful in many centuries."

Everyone jaw dropped at his response. "Y-your bankai?!" Toshiro gawked, "isn't that a bit overkill?"

"Perhaps not…" Kyouraku interrupted, "You saw what he did earlier…just look out there. His attack actually went through Sekkiseki stone and blew up half a district. Not to mention…that cero would probably incinerate anybody below captain level in mere seconds."

"How could his attack go through the barrier though?! That's impossible…" Soifon said morbidly.

"He's definitely more dangerous than any of us gave him credit for…we need to repair the barrier before the royal guards start to intervene." Kyouraku nodded.

"Shuunsui is right…" Ukitake agreed.

"So what now then?" Soifon asked glancing over at Yamamoto as if expecting him to already have a solution.

The old man sighed heavily, "With the loss of three captains, and the damage sustained here, I believe it necessary that we withdraw our forces for now. Captain Kurotsuchi will work on the repairs, while Captain Shiba retrieves former Captain Urahara. We may in fact need his aid if White chooses to bring his entire army next time. All available forces will oversee the repair of the barrier in the meantime…but first we must address the squads."

"Kisuke will know what to do…he might even have a better idea of what White's power is," Isshin nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Rukia XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Several hours passed in the aftermath of Aizen's betrayal and Ichigo's infiltration. The entire Soul Society was on high alert and was now gathered in a large plaza. Standing on some sort of stage overlooking the massive crowd of Shinigami stood the majority of the captains.

At the front of the group was Yamamoto. He explained the attack to the rank and file troops to calm the chaos. Rukia was quick to notice the lack of several key details…namely Ichigo being Isshin's son. She couldn't help but think it was for the best. The last thing they needed was to alienate a captain as powerful as Isshin.

The raven haired woman herself was still gravely injured, but thankfully due to Isane and Unohana's quick response, she was recovering remarkably well. Nevertheless, the area where Aizen had ripped the Hogyoku from her body still hurt like hell.

Rukia turned away from the crowd as she noticed Isshin making his way for a senkaimon to the world of the living. She quickly pursued him, despite the movement limitations of her injury and managed to catch him before he stepped inside.

Isshin eyed her surprised as she stepped in front of him, "Excuse me, Captain Shiba…can I talk to you please?"

The man looked away with an uninterested expression, "Now's not really a good time Lieutenant Kuchiki…"

"Please? I just…well it's about that hollow. I promise this is important," Rukia persisted.

Sighing in defeat, Isshin motioned for Rukia to follow him through the spiritual doorway. As they entered, the two walked in calm silence for a few minutes. Thankfully the awkward silence didn't last long as Rukia took her cue to begin, "I don't know if you've heard about how White took me hostage a while back…that night he fought Captains Zaraki, Hitsugaya, Aizen, and my brother."

"I heard about that…" Isshin replied bluntly. He didn't follow up with any other comment leaving Rukia to cautiously rethink her next remark.

She glanced over seriously, "Well the part I didn't tell everyone is that when he took me hostage, he went to this graveyard…I can't remember the faces very well, but I could have sworn I saw your daughter Karin there."

Isshin's eyes widened as he looked over at her, "We were all there…it was the anniversary of Ichigo's death. Karin, Yuzu, and myself…you saw us?"

"Yes…I feel terrible for not saying anything, but I saw him go after Karin that night. Which is one of the reasons why I was shocked to see her in the Soul Society," Rukia explained slowly.

The former captain stared ahead blankly, "That's the night my powers came back…I thought I caught a fleeting glance of him, but until now I just assumed I was seeing things."

"If you don't mind me asking…why do you think White is so powerful anyway?" Rukia wondered.

"Well considering his heritage, it makes more sense. As his father I am a captain level Shinigami. His mother was a Quincy…and with White's soul combined with his own…it's likely he possesses the power of Quincy, Shinigami, and Hollow. Individually they're all powerful…but together I can't even imagine." Isshin replied seriously.

"Your wife was a Quincy?!" Rukia stuttered in disbelief. Isshin didn't even bother to acknowledge her question as he looked away. Knowing it would be unwise to press the issue, Rukia changed the subject.

"When he attacked the Academy, your daughter tried to confront him…he wouldn't kill her for some reason. It makes sense now…she's his sister," Rukia concluded.

Isshin seemed confused by her statement, "Ichigo always did care about his sisters…if there's even a shred of humanity left in him, then it would be for spared on those two. I need to speak with, Karin…and figure out the whole story."

"Is your other daughter safe?" Rukia questioned.

The man nodded, "I left her with Kisuke…she should be alright. If nothing else I'll ask Ryuken to watch her until Kisuke gets back."

"Why do you think Aizen betrayed us?" Rukia asked.

Isshin glared, "I couldn't say…I barely know him, but the guy did seem to have a fascination with hollows."

"Sorry to pester you with all these questions…" Rukia apologized as she clearly took the hint that he was annoyed. The rest of their walk was spent in silence.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Menos Forest XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As Ichigo and company passed through the closing Ganganta, he let out a heavy sigh of relief, '_Finally out of there…it's good we left when we did..._'

Aizen was quick to notice his expression, '_He must still be surprised by the news of his family being Shinigami_.'

"Well that was quite the exit, Captain Aizen…I had no idea you intended to leave in such style," Gin chuckled. Kaname remained passive, but nodded in agreement, "It will definitely send them a message…"

"Ichigo…I must say, I rather liked the way you revealed yourself to them," Aizen grinned as he placed a hand on the hollow's shoulder.

Before he could even react in time, Ichigo had spun around and grabbed his wrist. The orange haired hollow squeezed it with incredible force causing Aizen to grimace in pain. The Hollow King glared at him, "Don't touch me, Shinigami…you knew about this didn't you? You knew my father and sister were Shinigami?!"

Kaname and Gin both reached for their blades, but hesitated, as Ichigo formed a cero in his hand, "I wouldn't do that if I were you…now then, Sosuke…why don't you explain this to me!"

Releasing Aizen's wrist, Ichigo chucked the captain back. He reached down and left his hand on the hilt of Zangetsu as he stared fearsomely.

Ulquiorra did the same, whilst Wonderweiss remained still. After a very uncomfortable silence, Aizen nodded, "Very well…I will explain what I know. Your father, Isshin Shiba, is the former captain of Squad 10. He lost his powers several decades ago…only recently did they return. As for your sister, I believe he came to enroll her in the Shinigami Academy a week or two ago."

"Let's make this perfectly clear before going back to Las Noches…You three answer to me. Not the other way around. If I ask you a question, or order you to do something, then you better do it. There are many hollows that would hate to see your kind wandering about like you own the place. You're all going to have to prove yourselves if you want any kind of authority here. Also…give me the Hogyoku," Ichigo said darkly.

Gin and Tousen both glanced over at Aizen, wondering how he was going to react. The captain eyed Ichigo uncertainly, "Why exactly? Do you not trust me to carry it? I don't believe you are aware of how to use it…so would that really be appropriate?"

"Don't make me repeat myself…" Ichigo said threateningly as he drew his blade halfway. As it lifted out of the sheath, black spiritual energy poured forth. Before he could fully draw it, Aizen pulled out the orb and walked over to him, "There's no need for that, Ichigo…here, you can carry it."

Upon grabbing the orb from Aizen, Ichigo sheathed his blade and shook his head, "Don't make this any more difficult than it needs to be…"

"Of course," Sosuke nodded respectfully, "I'm just used to running things, so forgive my stand off behavior. You made it perfectly clear that you are in command. We will respect that. Thank you for allowing us a place in your army."

Ulquiorra watched Aizen curiously, '_He seems too agreeable…why does that bother me? I better watch him from here on out._'

Gin shook his head and chuckled, "I don't believe we were properly introduced. My name is Gin Ichimaru. It's quite the honor to meet you in person. You should have heard the tall tales about you in the Soul Society. Your infiltration will likely demoralize them greatly."

'_I don't know which one of these Shinigami seems more suspicious…Aizen or Ichimaru?_' Ichigo wondered as he bluntly nodded at the foxy man. Kaname bowed his head respectfully, "I respect what you stand for, White. You have a strong sense of duty and honor from I've seen. Your justice also aligns with my own ideals. I have faith that you will make a good leader."

"Well, we should go break the news about you three to the rest of Hueco Mundo. Wonderweiss, Hooleer…you two are coming as well. Las Noches has more than enough room," Ichigo turned to leave the colossal cave. Everyone slowly followed him as he made his way back to Las Noches.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karakura Town Graveyard, Yuzu XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Onii-chan…" Yuzu sighed sadly as she stared down at her brother's grave. The past few weeks under the tutelage of Uryu had proven rather interesting for her. The training was unlike anything she could describe, but thanks to her "natural skills" as Ryuken had come to call them, she progressed remarkably well.

She chose to visit Ichigo's grave today to clear her head. Uryu believed that she needed some kind of motivation or closure, so here they were. Staring down at the tombstone, she couldn't help but wonder where her brother's soul even went. Uryu had explained in vague detail that hollows dwell in a strange world called Hueco Mundo. Part of her wondered if it was possible that Ichigo was there.

To her side, stood Uryu himself. This was his first time visiting Ichigo's grave, and he seemed deep in thought as he stared down at it alongside Yuzu. The raven haired teenager broke the silence finally, "It's a shame he died…the world could definitely have used another Quincy."

"Ichigo was a caring person…he didn't deserve to die to a hollow. His death was so unfair…why'd it have to be him? What did that hollow want from him?" She shook her head sadly.

"You really loved your brother I take it? You never stop talking about him…" Uryu shook his head somewhat annoyed as met Yuzu's saddened gaze. The young teen stared up at him somewhat unhappy, "Everyone kept telling me that these things happen for a reason, and that he's in a better place! Where is he now?"

"Well my father theorized that the hollow sensed his emerging spiritual powers. Hollows consume the souls of their victims. If that's the case then your brother's soul is likely buried somewhere within Hueco Mundo," Uryu speculated.

Yuzu looked down again, "He's in Hueco Mundo after all?"

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did the hollow look like? The one that attacked your brother I mean?" Uryu asked curiously.

The girl shrugged, "I overheard Papa and Karin-chan describe it somewhat. I believe they mentioned it had forward facing horns and long hair. It also had markings over its black and white body. Papa called it White I think."

The older Quincy's eyes widened horrified, "What?! Wait a minute…I've seen a hollow by that description before. It was chasing some girl at a park. I tried to stop it but it easily overpowered me. It had long orange hair. It must have been the same one!"

"What?!" Yuzu gasped, "you've seen that hollow before?!"

"If your family's description is accurate then it would have to be the same hollow…at the time I had no idea what it even was. After some digging, and Shinigami espionage, I discovered that the hollow I encountered is actually quite infamous. The Shinigami have a name for it…they call him White. It is probably the same hollow," Uryu explained whilst simultaneously piecing things together.

The girl seemed frightened by the name, but nodded, "Then that's the hollow that killed Ichigo?"

Uryu nodded slowly, "If that's the case, then avenging your brother will prove quite difficult. The Shinigami I overheard talking about it described White as the most powerful hollow the Soul Society had ever encountered. Allegedly it took on multiple captains in battle…which would explain the vast spiritual signatures I sensed the night I encountered it."

"Why didn't that hollow kill you though?" Yuzu wondered.

Uryu shook his head, "I couldn't say…my father found me the next day. From what I can remember, the hollow seemed very interested in the girl it was pursuing."

"What did this girl look like?" Yuzu asked.

Uryu thought for a moment, "I believe she was around your age and had black hair. She wore it in a ponytail if I remember correctly."

Yuzu's eyes widened, "Do you remember what she was wearing that day?"

The Quincy shook his head, "Barely…she was dressed casually as far as I can remember. Though her shirt was black. I remember that much."

"That sounds like Karin…could White have been after her?!" Yuzu gasped at the thought of it.

Uryu seemed distraught, "Wait…so that girl was your sister? She's alive right?!"

Yuzu nodded, "Yeah…Karin-chan's gone off to the Shinigami Academy, remember?"

The older teenager frowned, "That's unusual…if that's the same hollow that killed your brother, why would it spare your sister?"

"How powerful is that hollow anyways? It took on captains?" Yuzu questioned surprised. Her recent exposure to the topic had been flooded with a wide range of random facts. The girl didn't know much about the Soul Society, but she knew that Shinigami Captains were very powerful.

Uryu shrugged, "I couldn't say…that hollow was a Vasto Lorde…the most elite evolution a hollow can achieve. I should have realized that before I recklessly attacked it."

"How much do you know about hollows?" Yuzu asked. Though Uryu had taught her much of the basics in the Quincy Craft, she was still ignorant to the nature of their enemy.

He glanced down at the ground, "I know fair amount…but if it's about your brother you're asking, then I am afraid I can't help you. No soul that is consumed by a hollow ever emerges from Hueco Mundo…at least not the same."

"So what happens after a hollow eats a person's soul?" she wondered.

Uryu glared into the distance, "Nobody knows that for sure…but if somebody is consumed by a hollow, they're pretty much lost to the pits of Hueco Mundo forever. I've never been there, but from what I've heard, it is a desolate, dark realm where only the strong survive. I'm afraid there's nothing we can really do for your brother if that's what you're wondering."

"I see…" Yuzu said sadly as she stared at Ichigo's grave. A brief image of his face flashed through her mind, as she remembered the last time she saw him. '_Ichigo…I promise one day that'll I'll find you. We'll be together again…and I'll never leave your side. You've always been strong for me…this time, I want to be strong for you_.'

The light haired girl was so distracted in her thoughts, that she barely noticed the footsteps of somebody behind her. Yuzu could feel a certain uneasiness in the air, which immediately led her to suspect the arrival was someone with spiritual power.

Turning around slowly, her eyes met the gazes of two individuals. One was a tall blonde haired man with a white uniform. To his side was a woman she recognized as the Sternritter she met previously. Yuzu eyed them both suspiciously, "Umm…can I help you?"

Uryu immediately spun around in a graceful tension as he eyed the newcomers surprised. His jaw dropped, "Sternritters? What are you doing here?"

"Oi, it's Ishida…well isn't this nice. For someone not interested in his people's cause, you're awfully quick to take this rookie girl under your wing," Candice noted.

"Umm…you're the one that told me to find the Ishidas," Yuzu clarified.

"This better not be a waste of my time, Candice…I assume this is the girl you spoke of?" the blonde haired man asked.

Candice nodded, "Yeah that's her, Jugram, she's Yuzu Kurosaki…and that guy is Ryuken Ishida's son."

"So this is the one the master was interested in? And this girl is under his tutelage?" the man figured as he examined the two teenage Quincies.

"What are you doing here? Shinigami are crawling all over this city in case you haven't noticed," Uryu noted.

Candice placed her hands on her hip and laughed, "Not anymore…I just saw a bunch of them retreat. Thought it'd be the perfect time for Haschwalth and I to pay you guys a visit."

"I believe my father already turned you down," he said dryly as he pushed up his glasses.

"Maybe, but you never did give us your answer, Uryu…to be honest it's kind of insulting seeing rogue Quincies rejecting the authority of their betters. With the master returning, you had better know your place pretty soon," Candice said in a matter of fact way.

The blonde haired man held his hand up to silence Candice, giving her a stone faced glare while doing so. "Enough Candice…let me handle this."

She crossed her arms as the tall blonde man eyed Uryu and Yuzu curiously. After a brief silence he focused his gaze on Uryu intently, "The Quincies are a force to be reckoned with…I am Jugram Haschwalth, leader of the Sternritters. I represent the interests for our kind, and enforce the will of our grand monarch Yhwach. He has awakened and grows stronger by the day. So long as Quincy blood flowers through your veins…you owe him your allegiance."

"Yhwach? Father of the Quincies? But that's just a legend…" Uryu trailed off in disbelief.

"It is no legend, boy…His Majesty and his mighty Wandenreich is absolute in its power. I will give you an ultimatum…serve his majesty or die. If you are not with us, then you are no different than Shinigami in our eyes…" Jugram said calmly.

A heavy chill ran up Yuzu's spine as she reflexively reached for her cross. The blonde woman looked amused by the gesture, but the man appeared far more serious as he examined Yuzu closely.

"You told my father that our presence would not affect your plans…why threaten us now?" Uryu half-demanded.

The blonde man stared seriously, "Emperor Yhwach has no interest in your father…he wants me to recruit you."

"And if I refuse, you'll kill me?" Uryu said narrowing his gaze.

"You won't refuse…because unlike your father, you can see the justice of our cause. The Shinigami must be purged," he explained.

Uryu stared momentarily, "I'll talk to Yhwach…but if you don't mind my asking, Why is he interested in me?"

"You can ask him yourself when we arrive…" Jugram explained, before shifting his gaze to Yuzu, "as for the girl…Yuzu Kurosaki was your name correct?"

"Y-yes…" Yuzu nodded somewhat frightened.

He turned towards Candice curiously, "You say her powers recently manifested? How peculiar…did you know there were other Quincies here Uryu?"

"No…I had no idea until she showed up recently. Though she seems to know Ms. Catnipp. I wouldn't doubt her knowing Yuzu is probably related to the girl showing up and looking for my father," Uryu noted as he adjusted his spectacles.

Jugram glanced at Candice understandingly, before he looked back towards Yuzu, "I see…and you did not know her? I've never heard of anyone by the name of Kurosaki…you're clearly not a pureblood."

"No, I'm-" Yuzu was about to explain her halfbreed heritage before Uryu interrupted.

"She's not a pureblood, but her powers are quite strong. My father has taken a liking to her, and allowed me to train her," he explained.

Yuzu was quick to catch on to Uryu's diverting comment and nodded, "Yes sir…Uryu-kun and his father have been very helpful. I want to understand my powers so that I can better use them."

"Then you should come with us…I will let Yhwach decide your fate, girl," Haschwalth stated.

"W-wait…but I can't just…leave," Yuzu hesitated.

"Secure them Candice…we're going back to the palace," Haschwalth ordered as he turned to leave.

Yuzu seemed afraid, but Uryu placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, "Don't worry…you won't be alone. Let's see what they have to say."

"Your father said to stay away from these people though," she whispered near inaudibly. The raven haired Quincy gave her a serious look, "C'mon…it's not like we have much of a choice anyways."

Without another word, the two followed the powerful Sternritters.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After a short trip along the Menos Forest, Ichigo stopped in his tracks and turned around, "Just a precaution…but I barely know anything about you, other than the fact that you three are Shinigami Captains. So you'll forgive me if I don't wholly trust you. Before we continue, I'd like to know more about who you three are and why you want my help in destroying the Soul Society," Ichigo explained.

Kaname was the first to respond, "My name is Kaname Tousen…former Captain of Squad Nine. I believe that the Soul Society is corrupted and I seek to show them justice."

Gin grinned as he spoke up next, "Well as I've said, I'm Gin Ichimaru. I commanded Squad Three. I have been following Aizen-sama for years, and still do. That is my reason."

'_Somehow that seems a bit vague…I'll have to watch him just as much as Aizen_,' Ichigo thought before turning towards Aizen himself.

The man sighed, "Well you know my name…I was the Squad Five Captain. I wish to overthrow the Seireitei and kill the Soul King."

"The Soul King?" Ichigo cocked his head confused, "who is that? I don't recall seeing a Shinigami that powerful, unless you're talking about Yamamoto."

"No, Yamamoto is merely the commander of the Gotei 13. That thing is the ruler of the Shinigami. It resides in the Soul Palace…in a realm separate from the Soul Society itself. It is normally impossible to reach unless you have an Oken," Aizen went into detail.

"So this Soul King is in a realm by himself? How does he rule your kind then?" Ulquiorra cut in confused.

Sosuke shook his head, "It doesn't…it sits atop the Reiokyu palace protected by Zero Squad. My goal is its death…I trust that is sufficient enough of an answer?"

"Not exactly…why would you want to kill him?" Ichigo shook his head, "how could you have ever even seen him if he doesn't leave his palace?"

"He's awfully curious…though I've wondered that myself Aizen-sama," Gin cut in as he opened his eyes fully.

The brown haired captain shook his head, "That is something I would prefer to tell you in private, Ichigo…"

"Very well…one more thing, before we depart though. What are you Zanpakutos capable of?" Ichigo asked.

All three captains slightly tensed upon hearing the question. Gin's widened eyes stared at Ichigo, '_Not only is he powerful, but he's smart enough to not let Aizen get one up on him. This Ichigo is definitely not a fool…_'

"You're quite demanding of us," Kaname noted somewhat disapprovingly, but he immediately shut up when Ichigo's spiritual pressure rose.

Aizen immediately calmed the situation, "Of course we would be happy to tell you about our Zanpakutos. We could all demonstrate them if you'd like…"

"I would in fact…Gillians, move," Ichigo commanded the massive herd of Menos Grande to clear a path so that the three captains had room to show their Zanpakutos.

"Kaname…go first," Ichigo instructed.

The dark skinned man nodded as he took a step forward and released his shikai. It appeared to have the ability to produce sound as well as multiple rings that fired off like a barrage of blades. Ichigo found the display interesting, but quickly brushed it off, "Show me your bankai now…"

'_This must have been Aizen's plan…he's going to use Kyoka Suigetsu against Ichigo. Clever_…' Gin thought as Kaname released his bankai and explained its abilities.

Afterward, Ichigo nodded and glanced at Gin, "You're next…Gin,"

"Oh? We're on a first name basis already?" Gin chuckled light-heartedly as he took a step forward.

Ichigo nodded his head, "We can be so long as you don't do anything stupid…"

"Of course…allow me to show you my Zanpakuto," Gin grinned. After his release command his Zanpakuto appeared to grow in length. Following a brief explanation of its powers, Gin immediately followed up by releasing his bankai.

Ichigo watched somewhat impressed as the blade grew to a ridiculous length and cut every tree in the open direction down. He retracted the blade in what appeared to be a second before sheathing his Zanpakuto and walking back towards the group.

Aizen immediately passed him grinning with excitement, "Well since you're so eager to see my Zanpakuto, I will show you…"

"We should really be heading back to Las Noches…I don't trust those fools you left in charge will operate well in your absence," Ulquiorra dissuaded.

The hollow king nodded, "I suppose so…go ahead without me, Ulquiorra. Take Wonderweiss, Hooleer, and these other two Shinigami with you. I would like to talk with Aizen in private anyway."

"Very well…hurry back soon though," Ulquiorra nodded before motioning the others to follow him. The massive herd of gillians left with Hooleer as well.

Aizen nodded at Gin and Kaname, "Go with them…Ichigo and I will catch up shortly."

'_Aizen-sama seems far too agreeable about all of this…I wonder what he has planned_,' Kaname thought as he followed Ulquiorra, Gin, and the other hollows.

After everyone was gone, Ichigo stared at Aizen intently, "Show me your Shikai, Sosuke…I assume it's pretty powerful if you didn't take me seriously in the first place."

"You're very perceptive, Ichigo…I respect that. Allow me to show you…Kyoka Suigetsu,"

Drawing his blade, Aizen pointed it downward Ichigo stared at it for a moment uncertainly. Aizen smiled, "It has the ability to manipulate water. Quite a useful ability in opposition to the Captain Commander's fire. Observe…"

Aizen swung the blade and Ichigo watched as a torrential tsunami like wave fired from it and went crashing through the Menos Forest. He cocked his head, "And that's just your shikai? You're like the opposite of the Captain Commander then…I'm surprised you haven't tried fighting him yourself with something like that."

"All in due time…as for my bankai, it can-" Ichigo's mind completely blacked out as he lost all touch with reality. He looked around in pitch blackness completely overwhelmed by its sudden arrival.

"What the hell is this?! Aizen?! Where are you?!" Ichigo called out in the darkness. Then much to his shock, he appeared in the middle of some type of sideways city.

He landed atop a skyscraper of some sort…greatly resembling those in the World of the Living. His eyes followed it both directions. On one side below he saw a vast ocean of water "beneath" the sideways buildings, and the sky "above" appeared black as night with a red outline over what appeared to be a crescent moon.

He looked around confused, "What is this place? Where am I?"

"Your inner world…" a voice sounded out of nowhere. Ichigo's eyes widened as he looked around frantically for the voice's owner. It was unfamiliar, which greatly alarmed him.

After a moment of searching his eyes finally rested upon an unusual sight. In front of him was somebody he had never seen before. He had dark hair, blue eyes, and a black flowing outfit. His appearance was that of a young man, likely not much older than a teenager.

He had a passive look on his face as he examined Ichigo's confusion. "How did I get here?" Ichigo asked the stranger uncertainly.

Suddenly, the stranger's body began to change. An entire half of his body changed from black to white, as half a black hollow horn formed over it as well. One eye appeared hollowfied, while the other remained blue. The duality of his changed appearance greatly alarmed Ichigo as he reached for his Zanpakuto.

"Who are you?!" he asked again.

"You know who I am…you've known my name ever since you became an Arrancar," the stranger replied.

Ichigo glanced down at his sword which quickly disappeared. He looked up shocked as it was now in the unusual person's hand. He quickly figured out what that meant, "You're…Zangetsu?"

The half-hollowfied stranger nodded as he approached Ichigo. The sword in his hand disappeared as he did so, "You're quick to realize this…you have a strong bond with your own soul. That is good. It makes us both stronger."

"Why did you bring me here? Last thing I remember was Aizen showing me his Shikai…" Ichigo stated.

"I brought you in here because you're in danger…Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu is not what it seems," Zangetsu explained.

Ichigo cocked his head, "What are you saying?"

"There is only one way to know for sure what you see is real…you must absorb the Reishi around you. You must use your Quincy Powers," Zangetsu said seriously.

"Quincy Powers?! How the hell am I supposed to know use those? I'm not a…Quincy," he said the last part hesitantly as he remembered what Karin said about their mother.

"Am I?" Ichigo finished his statement uncertainly.

Zangetsu nodded, "I am the combined manifestation of your power…I am everything that makes you Shinigami, Quincy, and Hollow. You have the powers of all three…and you will need them if you intend to remain King."

"So then Aizen's Zanpakuto is some kind of trick?" Ichigo questioned urgently, "like an illusion?! You said I was in danger…let me out of here, I'll kill him!"

"Calm yourself…you need to be smart about this. If he realizes that you caught on to the illusion, you will lose your one and only chance to break free of it. A preemptive strike is the best thing you can do is break his illusion over you," the two sided being explained.

"How can I use my Quincy Powers then? I don't know anything about them…and how is that supposed to help me? I can just sense his powers anyways can't I?" Ichigo said distantly as he looked at his hands.

"You cannot always trust your five senses…sometimes you must use your inner eye to see through false realities. Aizen understands the nature of your Hollow and Shinigami powers…but he does not know what your added Quincy blood can do. You have a transcendent sixth sense…and it takes the combined powers of all three for you to use it," Zangetsu elaborated.

No sooner had the words left his mouth, did Ichigo see two distinct auras coming from either half of his body. The dark half of Zangetsu glowed blue and white, whilst his other white half glowed red and black. Ichigo watched with confusion as the two halves of his inner world suddenly began to clash.

The entire inner world dissipated right before Ichigo's eyes as he quickly found himself back in the Menos Forest. Aizen continued on in his demonstration, "And this is my bankai. It can absorb the moisture from within the bodies of others and-"

Ichigo tuned out Aizen's explanation as he blankly stared into the distance. The sight of the crashing wave seemed completely real…it even felt real, but something about what Zangetsu said led him to sense that it was not. Another strange feeling overcame his senses as everything began to fade. His sight faded, his hearing lessened, and soon he could sense nothing.

After a momentary absence of perception, he tried to instinctively do what Zangetsu said and absorbed nearby Reishi. As he did so, a faint glow appeared in his mind…and almost like a sixth sense, he could detect the reishi in a way he could not previously

Then suddenly, he felt an alien sensation within his mind. Nothing could wholly describe this mysterious new sixth sense, but for some reason, he could "see" the spiritual composition of everything else around him. (_A/N: Sort of like how Neo could see coding in the matrix_).

He focused on Aizen's Reiryoku and charged without hesitation. Grabbing Aizen's Zanpakuto by the blade, he drew his sword and plunged it forth, straight into the Shinigami's shoulder.

A split second later, reality returned to normal as he now stood behind an impaled Aizen with a bloodthirsty growl. Confirming the truth behind the illusion, Ichigo noticed a lack of water in the distance and twisted his blade, "You must think you're a genius…don't you, Sosuke?!"

Aizen was petrified in disbelief as he looked down at the white blade sticking through him. Ichigo ripped Kyoka Suigetsu out of Aizen's hand and threw the blade against the ground. Moments later he pulled his sword back and sheathed it causing Aizen to fall to his knees.

The captain grimaced painfully as Ichigo walked around in front of him. Aizen looked up with disbelief, "You…broke through Kyoka Suigetsu?! How?"

"I should cut you down right now, Aizen…you're already plotting against me?!" Ichigo growled as he grabbed the man's throat and held him at eye level.

The captain appeared both amazed and horrified by Ichigo's astounding immunity to his Zanpakuto. He stared into Ichigo's eyes for a brief moment and sighed, "Truly…you are beyond my expectations. Nobody has ever broken the perfect hypnosis…it affects all senses."

"I could see your composition in its rawest form. You shine like a torch compared to everything around here," Ichigo answered.

Aizen tilted his head confused, "Kyoka Suigetsu even affects one's ability to detect spiritual power. That would be impossible…unless you've gained transcendence."

"What?!" Ichigo demanded.

"Of course…I should have considered that. You're part Quincy, Part Shinigami, and Part Hollow…and as an Arrancar, you embody the perfect conditions to be a transcendent being. You have a sixth sense…you can physically see spiritual power in its true form can't you? Remarkable…you're truly fit to be King of the Hollows," Aizen noted calmly.

Ichigo released his grip on Aizen and stared at him confused, "For someone who just got caught in the act of deceiving me, you seem awfully casual about all of this. I'm done playing games with you! Tell me why you wanted this Hogyoku? Do you intend to use it against this Soul King somehow?"

"Yes…I do in fact, but first and foremost, we must create your Arrancar army," Aizen replied with a grin as he clutched his wound. It didn't appear fatal, but Aizen was still bleeding a decent amount from it.

"You need our help to kill the Soul King…but you never really explained why you wanted to," Ichigo stated.

Aizen looked serious now as he stared Ichigo down. After giving him a strange look, the former captain spoke distantly, "You're not ready to hear it…and I am not ready to tell you. I will not cloud your mind with such distractions."

"Why do you think I'm not ready?" he growled.

"Because you are impatient. If I tell you everything, you'll simply go on a rampage and get yourself captured. I recognize your power, but even you at your current level are not strong enough to face the dangers you would recklessly confront. Consider this for your own good…I'm protecting you against your own hot-headedness Ichigo. If you were to do anything stupid, the Soul Society could capture you and lock you away in Muken," Aizen calmed him.

Ichigo raised a brow, "What the hell is Muken?"

"It is the lowest level of the Soul Society's prison. There one is sealed deep beneath the Squad One Barracks. Originally it was created for traitors that could not be slain. I imagine it would be your fate should the Soul Society ever catch you…it restricts all spiritual power and renders one petrified deep underground in darkness…indefinitely," The man sighed.

"Is this your game, Aizen? If you think withholding information from me is enough to spare your life, then you're sadly mistaken!"

"Then go ahead and kill me Ichigo…" Aizen smiled.

"I will then…" Ichigo growled as he drew his sword and brought it across Aizen's throat. Much to his astonishment, the Hogyoku, flew in front of his blade and blocked Ichigo's strike.

He stared in disbelief, "What the…"

Ichigo looked down at his own free hand and noticed the Hogyoku was absent from his possession, '_When did I drop it? Maybe he took it from me when I was under his Kyoka Suigetsu's illusion?_'

Aizen retrieved the orb before giving Ichigo a heavy sigh, "You need my help…and I need yours. Let's call a truce. Neither one of us gains anything by betraying the other. You know this…and I know this. I am no good to you dead…and you're no good to me unless you're willing to cooperate."

The captain extended his hand out with a serious look, "Deal?"

The arrancar glared at Aizen's extended hand with extreme hostility, but finally nodded in acceptance, "Fine…but this conversation will be continued. Got that?"

"Of course," Aizen nodded.

"Let's get out of here…" Ichigo sighed. In truth he was partially glad the Hogyoku stopped his attack. Killing Aizen, might have been for the best in the long run, but he needed Aizen's knowledge and expertise. '_I know next to nothing about this Soul King…it must be something bad if Aizen is so intent on killing it. But I wonder why he doesn't want to tell me anything? There's something strange about all of it…but I guess I have no choice but to go along with this for now. I doubt he'll be dumb enough to betray me again anytime soon after this…_' Ichigo speculated as he and Aizen left the Menos Forest.

As they arrived back on the surface of Hueco Mundo, Ichigo took a deep breath and looked at the moon, '_Transcendent being huh_? _Maybe that's what Aizen wants…_'

A resounding boom erupted in the distance, breaking Ichigo and Aizen from their awkward silence. Both of their heads darted towards the outskirts of Hueco Mundo, where they could see a massive pillar of Pink spiritual energy radiating on horizon.

It seemed to be extremely far away in the opposite direction of Las Noches. The Orange haired Arrancar glanced over at Aizen, "I sense a hollow…but what is that other spiritual signature?"

"Hmm…that spiritual power doesn't feel like a Shinigami's," Aizen noted.

"Go tell my Vasto Lordes that I'm investigating it…" Ichigo gestured.

Aizen gave him a quizzical look, "You want me to return without you? They might see that as suspicious…"

"Somebody needs to tell them why I'm not back yet…now do what you're told and go," Ichigo said annoyed.

"Very well…good luck," Aizen nodded before heading in Las Noches' direction.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A considerable distance away XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Arriving at the scene of what Ichigo could only assume was a battle, he noticed a peculiar sight. Collapsed on the ground were the Arrancars he previously encountered a while back. Dordonni, Circucci, and Gantenbainne. They were all wounded and unconscious from what he could tell. Following the pink glow, his eyes widened in surprise as he noticed Neliel, standing there in her released form.

She appeared heavily wounded, but was the last one of them standing. His eyes shifted over towards her opponent.

Ichigo cocked his head confused, '_Humans? What!? They definitely aren't Shinigami. What the hell are they doing in Hueco Mundo_?' Standing across from the wounded Arrancars were what appeared to be two human women dressed in white. Both of them had dark hair and blue eyes.

One had a playfully bored expression her face, and was standing further back, whilst the other appeared to be the one fighting. The one in front had a uniform styled white outfit, and a white hat that somehow reminded Ichigo of a sailor.

He blinked several times trying to process exactly what he was looking at. The battlefield surrounding them looked heavily scarred and was still burning. Ichigo cautiously and stealthily got a closer look.

"So Arrancar, are you done wasting my time? You don't have a choice you bitch…you're coming with us!" the woman with the hat declared.

Nel grimaced painfully, "Your invasion of Hueco Mundo won't go unnoticed…this is our world. You don't belong here, Quincy!"

'_Quincy?!_' Ichigo thought shocked.

"Ha! Your world?! That's a joke…everything his Majesty wants is technically already his! You pathetic hollows are no match for the Wandenreich! Not to mention, it's not like any of you rule this barren wasteland anyway? Haha." the woman laughed.

The girl behind her chuckled, "She was stronger than the others though, Bambi-chan,"

"Who this slut? She's already beaten…I should just put her out of her misery," the woman with the hat spat.

Nel glared at them angrily, "Lanzador Verde!" Chucking her lance at remarkable speed, she narrowly clipped the front woman causing her to stagger slightly off balance.

Before the woman could react, Nel kicked her in the face with one of her hooves. The Quincy woman hissed angrily and immediately stomped the ground causing a series of explosions to erupt all around them.

"You just don't give up do you, bitch?!" the woman shouted annoyed as she absorbed Reishi from the air. Nel quickly retrieved her lance and ran in for a sweep.

The woman leapt over the attack, and formed a blade out of Reishi in her hand. She narrowly parried Nel's ferocious jab, and followed up with a counter strike. Satisfied by her attack, the sadistic dark haired woman barely had time to fall back as Nel unleashed a powerful pink cero at her.

"Watch out Bambi-chan!" the other girl shouted as if amused by the battle..

The woman delivered a powerful series of slashes against the weakened Nel and soon brought the Arrancar down. Ichigo was shocked, '_For somebody as strong as Nel to be downed like that…who are these people?!_'

Nel wasn't down for long, as she channeled spiritual power over her lance and charged the Quincy again. The woman smiled as she formed a large orb of reishi and chucked it at the incoming Arrancar. Despite the magnitude of the explosion, Nel barreled through it, and managed to stab the Quincy with her lance.

It seemed to catch the Quincy off guard, giving Nel the time to pull her weapon back for another jab. "Urgh, you damn bitch!" the woman with the hat screeched

Before her follow up attack could hit, Nel's lance was diverted by a large arrow from the other woman. Ichigo's eyes darted over and saw her holding an energy bow of some kind. Before Nel could recover, the woman with the hat swung her Reishi sword and disarmed the Arrancar.

She delivered a series of devastating cuts and slashes bringing Nel down again. Adding to overkill, the woman grinned maliciously as she formed another couple of Reishi bombs, igniting Neliel in a massive series of explosions.

After it subsided, Nel was remarkably still standing. Though, she looked heavily injured now.. Ichigo gritted his teeth, '_I need to get over there_…'

Ichigo's eyes widened as he saw Nel's release form dissipate. Now back to normal she staggered weakly as she tried to hold on to her sealed sword. The black haired Quincy with the hat scowled, "I don't like the way you keep glaring at me…I think I'll just kill you, and take the others!"

Deciding to finally intervene, Ichigo appeared in front of Nel via sonido just in time to stop the woman from striking the wounded Neliel down.

Nel herself gasped in disbelief, as the flowing orange hair in front of her quickly caught her attention. She looked at the stranger now in front of her, and noticed his clothes, and the missing horn. She could barely believe her eyes and spoke weakly, "I-Ichigo?"

Holding the Quincy's wrist in his hand, Ichigo slowly turned back and looked Nel in the eyes, "Neliel…"

Several tears leaked from her eyes as she saw his face for the first time, "You're…an Arrancar?"

"Yeah…" he smiled, before shifting his attention back towards the cruel Quincy woman in front of him.

Both she and her companion were completely shocked by Ichigo's arrival. The one directly in front of him stared with widened eyes, "Where did you come from?! I didn't even sense you!"

Before she could get her answer, Ichigo backhanded the Quincy to the ground. His strong arming display must have been quite the feat, since the other girl gasped, "Bambietta?!"

A red mark covered the downed Quincy's face as she looked up in disbelief, "You fucker! Did you just slap me?!"

"Ichigo…wha-" Nel began, but was silenced by his look.

"Stand back Nel…I'll deal with these intruders," Ichigo said calmly.

"Intruders?! Bah…just who the fuck do you think you are asshole?!" The dark haired woman demanded. The wound inflicted on her by Nel from earlier seemed to be healing up for some reason, much to Ichigo's curiosity.

"Bambi-chan…he's cute isn't he? I love your hair Mr. Arrancar," the other girl said as she ran in closer.

Bambietta stood up and glared at her companion, "Shut up Giselle, you whore…"

Ichigo gave the women an intense glare, "What are two Quincies doing in Hueco Mundo?"

His question was quickly answered by Nel, "They're trying to abduct Arrancars for their army…"

"Your army? Is that right?" Ichigo asked threateningly.

Bambietta glared at him, "Yeah, that's right…the almighty Yhwach wants Hueco Mundo for himself. He needs Arrancars for his army. They're quite useful since they require almost no training."

"Yhwach? Who is that?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't have to tell you a damn thing! You're going to die for hitting me!" she said sadistically. Forming several massive Reishi orbs, she immediately launched them at Ichigo.

Ichigo reached up and stabbed his hand with his own horn. The sight seemed unusual to the two Quincies as they stared in confusion. Holding up his bloody hand, Ichigo charged his spiritual energy, "Gran Rey Cero."

Bambietta and Giselle both gawked for a brief moment before a tremendously powerful white and red cero fired from Ichigo's hand. The beam completely obliterated everything in its path. Blasting the reishi orbs back, it ignited the desert in a chain of explosions as Ichigo blasted it against the Quincies.

After the blast subsided, he was surprised to see them both alive, but their formerly crisp white outfits looked visibly seared, and Bambietta's hat was even gone. They were both covered in some type of blue patterned glow much to his confusion. Ichigo stared surprised, '_What is that?_'

"I've never seen a hollow do something like that before…" Giselle said with an interested tone. Despite the devastation of the attack, both Quincies appeared relatively fine now as the blue patterned glow, faded from their bodies. Giselle appeared less concerned, but Bambietta was now glaring hatefully at him.

He eyed them curiously, "I'm surprised that didn't kill you."

"First you slap me…and then you ruin my outfit?! You're even worse than that pompous bitch," Bambietta shrieked angrily as she pointed at Nel.

"You're starting to sound like Candy, Bambi-chan…" the other woman laughed. The fact that they didn't even seem fazed greatly alarmed Ichigo, '_What am I dealing with here? A cero like that should have killed them_.'

"Gigi…My golden buttons…even my hat? That's it, now I'm pissed!" Bambietta screeched.

Ichigo sweat dropped, '_She's certainly got her priorities mixed up…_'

"Be careful Ichigo, don't underestimate them," Nel said worriedly.

He grunted in response, "Don't worry, I can handle them."

"Handle us? You'll handle us?! Who the hell are you anyways?!" Bambietta demanded.

Giselle giggled at her outburst, "The other Arrancar called him Ichigo. Hey Ichigo!"

Giselle waved at him in an almost schoolgirl friendly fashion.

"What's wrong with her?" Ichigo wondered aloud.

Without warning, Bambietta began firing waves of explosive Reishi orbs. The woman was furious in her attempts to hit him. Every one of her explosive orbs missed him, as he sped around with unseen speed. It greatly annoyed her, causing the furious Quincy to become even more angry.

"C'mon…stop trying to hit me and hit me," Ichigo taunted. It seemed to fuel her rage as the explosions grew larger and larger.

Finally she stopped and glared at him incredulously. Ichigo landed in front of her again and glared back, "Is that all you got?"

"He's so fast isn't he Bambi-chan? I'll bet he's strong too!" Giselle chirped in an eerily excited way.

Ichigo raised a brow at her, '_She sounds like a ditz, but is probably the smarter one…though the other woman stopped. I wonder what she'll do next?_'

"You think you're tough huh, Arrancar? Why don't you show me that Release of yours…" Bambietta said darkly.

'_Why would she want that, if she's not even landing a hit against my normal form?_' Ichigo thought curiously.

"That's cute…" Ichigo laughed.

"He thinks your cute, Bambi-chan!" Giselle said amused, "I'm so jealous! Maybe he will release for you!"

Ichigo deadpanned, "That's not what I meant…"

"Sure it is…you should tell us who you are, and I'll convince Bambi-chan to be nice," Giselle interrupted.

Bambietta gave him a serious look, "Ichigo huh? You're not easy to kill…I'll give you that much."

"What were your names again? Bambi? Giselle?" Ichigo said uncertainly.

"It's Bambietta Basterbine…this is Giselle Gewelle. We're Sternritters…now who the hell are you?" she demanded.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…but I'm known by my other name around here…White," he replied casually.

Bambietta scoffed at him, "What kind of name is White? I think I'll just called you bitch instead."

"How original...now I can take after you," Ichigo chuckled.

"Pfft...well aren't you a smartass?" she shook her head.

Ichigo shrugged, "What the hell are Sternritters anyway?"

Bambietta grinned proudly as she pointed towards herself, "Elite Quincies...I wouldn't expect some primitive, idiotic hollow to understand. I don't know where you came from, but you're not going to stop us from taking these Arrancars back to the Wandenreich."

"How do you figure? You're not really putting up much of a challenge..." the hollow insulted her.

The Sternritter's grin immediately faded, "I get off on beating down arrogant bastards like you..."

'_What did she just say?_' Ichigo thought distracted.

"We should recruit him, Bambi-chan. His majesty would love an Arrancar this powerfu. Plus then we could have fun with him," the cheerful, but creepy Quincy noted.

Ichigo shot them down immediately, "That's not going to happen…"

"Like I'd spare you after what you did anyway!" Bambietta hissed as she charged with her Reishi sword. Ichigo swiftly drew his sealed Zanpakuto and countered her easily. She struggled against his vastly superior strength.

"What's with this guy?!" she exclaimed annoyed.

Her moment of distraction came at a price, as Ichigo stabbed the woman straight though her shoulder. Ichigo pulled it out and was about to deliver another blow, before she grabbed his arm and grinned wickedly. An explosion quickly caught both of them in its wake, actually burning off the sleeve of Ichigo's sword arm.

The Quincy stared at him shocked, "That didn't blow your arm off? You must have one tough Hierro. I guess I have no choice…"

Ichigo watched curiously as the dark haired woman grinned at him. She slowly removed a glove off of her hand, and soon after, all the nearby Reishi in the air began to cluster around her.

"Vollstandig!" she said excitedly. Ichigo's eyes widened in shock as literal wings formed over her back. Some strange emblem shaped halo formed over her head as well. Ichigo could sense a tremendous difference in her power level compared to before and stared almost in awe, '_I've never seen this before…_'

Her sword appeared much more concentrated now and visibly larger as Reishi focused over its edge. Bambeitta eagerly flew in at surprising speed as she began to assail Ichigo.

He swiftly avoided most of her attacks, but was forced to block several. The sheer difference in her power level seemed akin to a Shinigami releasing a bankai. '_She's taking me seriously now…_' Ichigo noticed as he narrowly avoided a reishi bomb that dwarfed anything she previously used against him.

"Die!" the angelic looking Quincy howled as she swooped in for another round of attacks.

Her charge was short lived as she saw Ichigo raise his sword parallel to the ground, "Protect Zangetsu."

A pillar of black and red spiritual energy exploded forth forcing everyone back from the sheer pressure alone. Bambietta grinned at the sight, "There's his release!"

"You finally got him to release on you!" Giselle cheered.

Bambietta briefly glanced over, "Gigi, you're shameless…"

After the energy subsided, Ichigo now stood in front of them in his release form. Giselle frowned at it and pouted, "Ah, we can't see his face anymore…"

The other woman eyed it somewhat cautiously, "Quite the Resurreccion. Maybe I will take you back…assuming you're not dead before I have my fun with you."

The fearsome arrancar growled menacingly, "I'm done wasting my time with you two…"

With both of his blades, Ichigo swung forth, "Getsuga Jujisho!"

Bambietta was clearly not expecting the exponential difference in Ichigo's power as she attempted to counter it with a colossal bomb. Giselle chose to intervene as well, "Heilig Pfeil." Firing a large holy arrow in addition with Bambietta's superbomb, she hoped it would cancel out Ichigo's attack.

Unfortunately for Bambietta, it didn't. The cross shaped black getsuga fired through it in mere seconds completely blasting her away. Giselle gasped surprised, "Bambi-chan?!"

Before Giselle could even react, Ichigo attempted to cut her down. Despite his attack, he watched with horror as the fatal cut didn't kill her. The girl's blood covered his body much to her satisfaction, "You're mine now, I-chi-go!"

Her playful expression soon turned into an evilly creepy grin, "Kill her…" Giselle pointed to Nel.

Ichigo looked at the Quincy incredulously, "Why would I do that?"

The unusual Quincy tilted her head confused, "Hmm…that's strange. It doesn't affect you?"

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked.

"You must be really powerful…maybe the effect is delayed? Kill her," the creepy Quincy pointed at Nel again.

"How are you still alive? I practically cut you in half," Ichigo shook his head.

The strange woman traced a finger over some of her blood and flicked it at Ichigo, sending a few spurts directly at his face. She cocked her head as if fascinated by his reaction, "Huh…weird."

Ichigo swung to decapitate her, but she narrowly ducked. He watched confused as the creepy Quincy began to casually walk towards him. He ceased his follow up swing momentarily, wondering what she was doing. He attempted to stab Giselle with one of his blades, but it appeared ineffective. All it did was cover him in more of her blood.

'_I can't kill her like a normal human What's with this freak of a girl anyway?_' Ichigo thought somewhat disturbed.

Giselle smiled at his reaction, "You're covered in my blood, and it still doesn't affect you?"

"What the hell's wrong with you?!" he asked.

The unusually weird Quincy stared at him with an unfazed grin, "That's not a nice thing to say…"

He pulled his sword back and stared at her seriously, "Get away from me!"

He formed a cero between his horns and was about to fire it at her. However before he could fire his cero, he heard a sharp whistle, "Hey! You fire that cero, and I'll kill her!"

Ichigo kept his cero charged, but glanced over and saw Bambietta was back. She had her blade pressed against Nel's throat holding the weakened Arrancar on her knees. The Quincy's wings were gone, and she looked roughed up from his attack.

"Make one move and I'll kill your little girlfriend here!" she threatened.

"Sure you will..." Ichigo said sarcastically.

Bambietta's face was almost sadistic, "Don't think I won't...you obviously cared enough about her to get in our way in the first place. I know you won't do anything stupid to get her killed..."

Despite the situation, Nel remained silent. She shook her head, as Ichigo slowly turned around. His cero began to recede much to Bambietta's satisfaction. "Yeah that's right. I knew you would listen to me…now return to normal too."

'_I've had about enough of these crazy Quincies…_' Ichigo thought as he played along with Bambietta's request. His release form resealed back into his Zanpakuto, which he immediately sheathed.

"You come with us, and I'll let her go…deal?" Bambietta said as she brought the Reishi blade closer to Nel's neck. She jerked her head, signaling for Giselle to restrain Ichigo somehow. The bloody Quincy wrapped herself around one of his arms and tilted her head against Ichigo's shoulder, "Don't we make a good couple Bambi-chan?!"

"Take this seriously Gigi…" Bambietta shook her head.

Giselle continued to grin in her wicked way as she licked Ichigo's now exposed sword arm. Ichigo swung his fist to get the Quincy off of him, but stopped as Bambietta pulled Nel's head back, "I wouldn't do that if I were you…what's your answer, Ichigo?"

Looking over at Bambietta seriously, he had no choice but to ignore the Quincy latched onto his arm. '_This day just gets worse and worse…_' Ichigo thought annoyed.

"At least wait until we bring him back before doing all of that. This is serious, Gigi," Bambietta said as she noticed the blood covering both of them.

"Let's make his girlfriend jealous," Giselle said enthusiastically. Nel's eyes darkened slightly at the comment as she mean mugged Giselle. Bambietta seemed to notice it and smiled, "I don't think she would like that, Gigi..."

"Ichigo, don't worry about me…just kill them," Nel interrupted before Bambietta pulled her hair back again.

The dark haired Quincy huffed, "I don't feel like standing here all day…what's your answer pretty boy?"

Temporarily distracted from the comment, Ichigo was caught off guard by a wet sensation across his face. His eyes widened considerably as Giselle licked his cheek with a suggestive grin.

'_There's no way in a million years that I'd agree to go with or be alone with this crazy woman_,' Ichigo thought. He couldn't exactly throw her off and risk Nel getting her throat slashed. Realizing he had to act fast, Ichigo calmly waited for his opportunity.

"That's a good deal…" he said slowly, causing Bambietta to lower her guard slightly. Giselle appeared excited as she got way too close for his comfort.

"But I've got a better one," Ichigo countered, before appearing directly behind Bambietta. She could barely believe his reaction time, as he brought her own blade against her throat. Giselle plopped to the ground, in Ichigo's remarkable burst of speed and looked up confused.

"How's about you two leave, and I'll spare your lives…take a message to this Yhwach guy. Tell him that Hueco Mundo already has a King…and I'm not interested in working for some Quincy," Ichigo stated.

"What?! You're Hueco Mundo's King?!" Bambietta stuttered completely surprised by the revelation.

Giselle's eyes lit up, "Oooh! I call first dibs, Bambi-chan…"

"Do something, Gigi!" she said urgently as Ichigo pressed the blade closer to her throat.

"If you let her go, I'll be your hostage," Giselle volunteered way too eagerly for his tastes. The very suggestion put a chill up his spine, causing him to shoot down the suggestion immediately, "You're both leaving, or you're both dying…"

"You've won this round, we'll leave…I surrender," Bambietta sighed in acceptance.

Nel frowned, "Is it really a good idea to let them go, Ichigo?"

"Just this once…I'll spare you Quincies. Go tell this Yhwach that Hueco Mundo is mine…and he can fight me for it. If he comes after my Arrancars again I'll murder all of you," Ichigo said darkly as he released Bambietta.

She ran over to Giselle and stared at Ichigo incredulously, "Why didn't you tell us you were the King of Hueco Mundo?! Since when has this place had a King?"

"Get out of here before I change my mind…" Ichigo gestured for them to leave.

Bambietta scoffed at him, "You're going to regret sparing our lives…Yhwach will crush you!"

"Let him try..." the hollow king laughed.

Bambietta gave Ichigo one last look, "You haven't seen the last of us...I'll get you back for this, mark my words."

As they took their leave, Giselle winked at him, "Once he kills you, I'll make you my toy. Though it'd be more fun if you were willing."

Something about her comment was a bit disturbing to him, but Ichigo shook it off as he finally went over to make sure Nel was alright. The Aquamarine haired arrancar took a deep breath, "I'm surprised you let them go…they would have killed me."

"I'm sorry I let that happen to you Nel…I just wanted a better idea of what kind of enemies these Quincies were. Plus I held back so I wouldn't hurt any of you guys," Ichigo pointed towards the other downed Arrancars.

Ichigo extended his hand with a sad smile, "It's good to see you again…"

"You too…" Nel replied somewhat shamefully as she took his hand, "you're not really seeing me at my best though."

"It's alright…I was going to look for you guys eventually. You should come live in Las Noches with the rest of us."

"Huh? So…you really are King of the Hollows then? What about Barragan?" she asked surprised.

"It's a long story, but I challenged him in Las Noches in front of half of Hueco Mundo, and defeated him. I spared him and now we work together," Ichigo explained.

Nel's face lit up, "That's amazing…you really did make something of yourself didn't you? I guess I was wrong…you are the strongest hollow. Not just in power, but in spirit as well. I've never heard of something like that happening before."

"No Nel…I was wrong. I shouldn't have dismissed you so easily…I'm sorry for that," he sighed.

The sea-green haired hollow smiled weakly, "It's in the past now…we'd be happy to join your cause."

"Are they going to be okay?" Ichigo asked looking over the downed Privaron. Nel nodded, "I can heal them before we go."

"So how did you guys encounter those Quincies anyway?" Ichigo asked.

Nel frowned, "Supposedly they've been growing in strength and they want to conquer Hueco Mundo. I'm glad to hear you're in charge now…because I wasn't sure how we could stop them otherwise."

"They're more powerful than I expected them to be…that creepy woman I kept trying to cut down, wouldn't even die. She seemed awfully intent on getting blood on me," Ichigo shook his head.

The female Arrancar gave Ichigo a nervous laugh, "Umm…about her…"

"What is it Nel…" Ichigo asked.

"Actually never mind," she said nervously as she looked away.

'_As if that situation wasn't strange enough…now Nel's acting weird about it?_' Ichigo thought shaking his head.

"So how did you become an Arrancar?" Nel changed the subject right away.

"I'll tell you about it on the way back. Let's heal them up and get to Las Noches," Ichigo replied.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Boom! There's Chapter 11 for you kids. A lot of serious shit went down this chapter so let's brush over it shall we? The Soul Society now has a better understanding of what they're dealing with. How will they handle it? Yuzu and Uryu are going with Haschwalth?! Ah shit…guess what that means?! Yhwach is incoming.

That aside…we had some serious tension between Ichigo and Sosuke. How will Ichigo deal with Aizen's elusiveness, and what does Aizen have planned now that he knows he can't control him with Kyoka Suigetsu? You'll just have to wait and see. Now with the gang back in Hueco Mundo, we're about to get full blown Arrancars everywhere!

So the scene with Bambietta and Giselle was rather interesting. Why were those two specifically scoping out Hueco Mundo? How will the others react to their news about a unified, militaristic Hueco Mundo? What's Yhwach going to say/do/think/know/etc? On a side note…it was heavily implied in the manga that Giselle is a trap. I couldn't help but wonder whether I should stick with that for the sake of humor or not. Personally, I don't mind writing her either way. I'll probably just leave it neutral for the time being though.

Well, we have a lot of looming threats on the horizon now that Ichigo knows the Shinigami aren't his only enemies. He'll have to work extra hard to train his army. Of course with Nel back, and Arrancars incoming...all the harem stuff is probably going to pick up soon. So I imagine quite a few people are excited for that. Anyways, thanks for reading…


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Kurosaki**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karakura Town XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Standing close to the Karakura Town graveyard, two individuals traded concerned expressions as they witnessed Yuzu and Uryu leaving with the mysterious white garbed strangers. One of them was a fairly tall blonde man adorned in a button down shirt and dress pants. To his side stood a much shorter blonde haired girl with a red track suit on.

She stared at the sight incredulously, "Shinji…should we do something about that? Who are those people anyway?"

The blonde man frowned, "That wouldn't be wise, Hiyori…I've seen a few of those guys poking around this city. We know almost nothing about them…plus, it might be dangerous if things get ugly and the Soul Society finds out we're here."

"We can't just hide forever though!" She protested in annoyance.

Shinji sighed, "I know…but Urahara told us to keep a low profile. We shouldn't rush into things blindly. Plus, they're not Shinigami, so they don't really concern us."

"Pfft…where is that good for nothing bastard, Urahara, anyway? We should see if he knows anything about these people," she suggested.

Before he could reply, a third person landed behind them. They both turned around and noticed Love who seemed a bit more serious than usual. He was quick to state his reason for arriving, "Guys…all of the Shinigami in this city just got recalled back into the Soul Society. Apparently there's been an attack!"

"What?!" Shinji asked surprised, "by who?!"

"I don't know, possibly Aizen…" Love said morbidly.

"Aizen's involved?!" Shinji gritted his teeth angrily.

Hiyori seemed concerned, "We need to see Urahara right away then. Maybe he knows what's going on."

Love nodded, "The others are already on the way…Urahara will explain everything once we're all there."

"Let's go then!" Shinji said as he left without even waiting.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Urahara Shop XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Beneath the former captain's shop, the Visored were all gathered as they stood around Kisuke. Shinji, Hiyori, and Love arrived just in time to witness an opening Senkaimon and watched it curiously.

"Urahara, what's going on?!" Shinji demanded.

"Shinji, Hiyori…about time you guys showed up," Kensei sighed.

"We came as fast as we could…" Shinji stated.

"Who's coming from the Soul Society?" Hiyori asked immediately as she watched the opening doorway confused.

Lisa had her arms crossed and stared at the Senkaimon, "Did you already send word to them? I was under the impression this was going to be between us, Urahara."

"Who is coming through the Senkaimon?" Hachi wondered aloud.

Kisuke glanced back and shrugged, "Hey now, relax guys. I don't know who it is…but if they're coming directly under the shop, then I'd assume it's Isshin. If so, then you got here just in time. Perfect timing actually. Maybe now we can find out what's going on."

"Maybe he has news about what happened then," Lisa said hopefully.

Before Kisuke could say anything else, Isshin came out of the Senkaimon with Rukia at his side. Shinji stared at Isshin surprised, "Captain Shiba? So they did reinstate you?"

Many of the Visoreds recognized Isshin and stared intently waiting for him to give the news. Isshin looked around surprised, "Kisuke? What are they all doing here?"

"Ah, I heard about the recall of the Soul Society's Forces, so I figured I'd gather them in case you guys needed back up," Urahara said coolly.

"Is that why you called us all here? Why do I get the feeling, you knew he was going to come back?" Kensei frowned.

Hiyori glared at Urahara seriously, "You seriously expect we would fight for the Soul Society?!"

"Not exactly…but I knew that the Soul Society calling back all its captains was a serious deal. I've caught some passing rumors, Isshin…but what happened exactly?" Urahara questioned.

"White attacked the Soul Society with the help of Captains Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen. He brought two other hollows in the attack as well. Also…White is Ichigo," Isshin explained.

Kisuke seemed genuinely surprised for the first time in his life, "What? Really? As in your dead son, Ichigo? Hmm…how did you find out?"

"He fought the Captain Commander on top of Sokyoku Hill…and gathered us all there. Then when we thought we had him cornered, Aizen stole your Hogyoku from Lieutenant Kuchiki here…and declared himself our enemy. Ichigo was an Arrancar. He…his mask dissipated and I saw his face. His eyes were just like that hollow from over twenty ago. They've fused souls," Isshin said morbidly.

The Visoreds stared horrified by the news. Hiyori deadpanned, "A hollow fought the Captain Commander?!"

"Hmm…well if that hollow is your son, then I'm sure you've already figured out what that means," Urahara replied seriously, "He's part Quincy too…It's remarkable that he managed to evolve into an Arrancar in such a short time. I had my suspicions…but I never imagined such an evolution was possible."

"I know what you're thinking, Kisuke…" Isshin sighed, "I should have seen it coming…it's just hard to imagine. As if that wasn't bad enough…Sosuke Aizen chose today to betray us as well. The Seireitei is still recovering from the chaos."

'_So Aizen was involved with White. Interesting…_' Urahara thought.

"It seems Aizen finally showed the Soul Society his true colors…" Shinji said seriously.

Isshin nodded, "Yeah…by the way Kisuke…the Captain Commander pardoned you. Aizen has the Hogyoku now, and they need to know what we're up against. They need your expertise."

"They do huh?" Kisuke frowned, "yeah I'll go talk to them then. I mean so long as I'm pardoned and all. By the way, did he say they were pardoned too?" The man pointed at the former captains and lieutenants.

"I don't know…but considering the chaos we're dealing with right now, I doubt the Soul Society is in any position to turn away help," the dark haired captain stated.

"What makes you think we want to go back anyway?! They condemned us for something that wasn't our fault!" Hiyori growled.

Shinji was quick to silence her, "We'll go talk to the old man…somehow the idea of telling him 'I told you so' is sounding pretty good right about now."

"Who are all of these people anyway?" Rukia spoke up for the first time.

"Ah…I'd rather not tell the whole story twice. Just wait until we all get back to the Soul Society," Kisuke replied.

"Before we go, Kisuke…how's Yuzu? Has she been doing alright?" Isshin asked.

Kisuke shrugged, "As much I've seen, yeah…but she's almost never here these days. I saw her earlier this morning, and she seemed alright. She's been spending time with some guy from what Ururu said."

"A guy? Do you know who?" he asked seriously.

Urahara nodded, "Yeah Ryuken's son, Uryu."

"You didn't think that was worth mentioning?! Has anything strange happened with her recently? Why would she be around him?" Isshin asked.

"Well I went ahead and asked him about it…and he said she was in good hands. So I've just been giving her space," Kisuke said as he fanned his face.

Isshin narrowed his gaze, "Do you think it's possible that…"

The other man nodded, "Definitely a possibility…but Ryuken didn't say anything about it. You might want to ask him yourself."

"Go back to the Soul Society without me…I need to investigate this. Yuzu's safety is my number one priority right now," Isshin explained.

"Sure thing…c'mon guys, let's go see the old guy," Urahara waved as he walked towards the Senkaimon.

Rukia stared at Urahara suspiciously, "Why was that Hogyoku thing in my body?"

"Oh that…well I'll explain the whole story once we get there," Kisuke said.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Wandenreich Palace, Shadow Realm XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yuzu and Uryu both followed Haschwalth up a large set of stairs. Their journey to this new and unusual destination was not very pleasant. Neither one had any idea where it even was or how they got there. Candice strutted behind them bored.

Yuzu would occasionally glance back and notice the woman stare at her smugly. '_What's she staring at?_' the girl thought intimidated.

Uryu on the other hand was examining every detail of their surroundings with hyper analytical awareness. Upon entering the large, and terrifying ice palace, they followed Jugram down a large hallway and before long found themselves in what appeared to be a massive assembly chamber.

They walked down the middle of some kind of formation with Quincies on either side. Everyone there was dressed in white, and faced forward, ignoring the newcomers. Sitting atop a floating throne near the front, was a black robed man with dark hair and what Yuzu thought were evil looking mutton chops. He had a middle aged appearance and was beyond intimidating. He looked down at the two of them as if they were ants.

"Jugram…I thought I asked for Uryu. Yet you brought me a girl as well?" the man on the throne said.

Haschwalth nodded casually, "Yes your majesty…she was with him at the time. She is a Quincy as I'm sure you've noticed by now. I believed you would find an appropriate solution for her life."

"Indeed…" Yhwach smiled evilly as he levitated down from his throne and stood across from the blonde man. He made his way over to a stage like area and looked over the countless Quincies below.

Near the front, many Sternritters were present in the room. Uryu looked around cautiously and could barely describe the vast array of the diverse, powerful Quincies. There was easily over twenty of the Sternritters present. They were lined up in the front row ahead of the normal troops and all had mixed expressions.

'_Is this some kind of assembly or something? It looks as if he was waiting for us to arrive…_' Uryu thought curiously. His thoughts were immediately confirmed when somebody spoke up. One man with a reddish pink Mohawk had an annoyed look on his face, "Was this why we had to gather up here? Who the hell are these people?"

Nobody said anything in response to his comment, likely out of fear of Yhwach. Haschwalth glanced over at the man stoically, "You should be silent in formation…Bazz B."

The man immediately nodded at Jugram much to Uryu's surprise. Pushing his observations out of mind, he stepped forward, towards Haschwalth's side, "What did you want to speak to us about?"

The Quincy Emperor motioned for Uryu to come forward, "Come up here, Uryu…I have been keeping my eyes on you for quite some time. You possess great power and I would like to offer you a place in the Wandenreich."

"I appreciate the offer, your majesty, but what good am I to you exactly?" Uryu replied respectful but curiously.

"You are the last Quincy to survive in this world…you possess a power capable of surpassing even my own. It is because of this, that I not only offer you a place in the Wandenreich, but I name you as my successor," Yhwach announced.

"Wait!" Bazz B outburst, but before he could say or do anything, Haschwalth stopped him. The blonde turned and stared at him seriously, "Keep your objections to yourself."

"Is there a problem?" Yhwach asked.

"No your majesty," the blonde man shook his head, "please continue."

The Quincy Emperor grinned, "You will all see Uryu Ishida's power for yourselves when the time comes. Until then, pay him your utmost respect. The time is drawing near for our purge of the Shinigami."

There was an eerily uneasy tension in the air as everyone stared at Uryu incredulously. It was clearly evident that they were probably wondering what made him so special in the eyes of their emperor. This guy that just showed up moments ago was immediately named their lord's successor.

Seeing the position he was in, Uryu bowed his head briefly, "I can't say no to something like that. Thank you…"

Yuzu eyed him surprised, '_Why's Uryu-kun not turning them down? What's going on here_?'

The almighty Quincy focused his gaze down towards Yuzu now, and brought a hand to his chin, "As for you, girl…state your name to the Wandenreich."

"Umm…Y-Yuzu Kurosaki," she said timidly. The intense stares from the terrifying strangers was enough to incite a near panic. She remained calm on the outside, but inwardly, Yuzu was trembling.

Yhwach grinned, "I find you most curious. You are a new Quincy…somewhat similar to Uryu here. I sense you have great power as well. You are also welcome to join the Wandenreich…"

"W-well…I just want to go home," Yuzu found the courage to say. She immediately regretted her comment as many Sternritters focused serious glares on her.

Yhwach chuckled at her comment and waved off the intensity from his Sternritters, "Ah, but my dear sweet girl…you are home. Jugram…see to it that she receives the proper care. I would like the girl to be trained."

"She's already under my tutelage," Uryu tried to ease Yuzu's panicked mood, "and I can look after her."

"The girl is not to be harmed…those of you that care to spare your time, should initiate her. Now you are all dismissed," Yhwach waved them off.

The formation of Quincies all saluted him before dispersing. The Almighty emperor himself departed for his personal chambers leaving Uryu and Yuzu alone and surrounded by the Sternritters.

"Uryu…go to his Majesty's chamber. Yuzu will be under my care from here on," Haschwalth dismissed him.

The Kurosaki girl shot a worried look over at her friend who had no choice but to obey the command. He gave Yuzu a comforting nod, "I'll come back to check on you…"

"Okay…" she said somewhat nervously.

As Uryu left, Haschwalth glanced down at her curiously, "I'm surprised the master had such an interest in you…though I'm sure it is not unfounded. Come with me, and I will show you to your room."

Before Haschwalth and Yuzu could depart, they heard two loud women come barreling up the stairs. Candice looked over with widened eyes, "Bambietta?! Wha-what happened to your uniform?"

The remaining Sternritters in the room stared at the bloody Giselle and burnt Bambietta confused. Candice put her hands on her hips, "Where's your hat?"

"What the hell happened to you sluts?" Bazz B questioned immediately.

Bambietta scoffed at him, "Fuck off…we ran into some trouble."

"I'll say, you missed the big assembly…" Candice smirked.

Another Sternritter with shorter blonde hair and a hood interrupted their conversation, "How was your trip to Hueco Mundo? You find any Arrancars?"

"Shut up, Gremmy…yeah we did," she hissed.

The young man had a smug look of amusement, "Didn't bring them back I see…I didn't realize you two would have such a hard time with hollows. Maybe Haschwalth should have sent somebody more competent."

"Did you do anything relevant while you were there?" one of the other Sternritters asked. He resembled a mad scientist.

"We met Hueco Mundo's king!" Giselle spoke up excitedly.

Every Sternritter in the room piped up interested. Bazz B stared at Giselle seriously, "What? Their King? Hollows have a King?"

"Yeah…he's this super powerful Arrancar. He showed up out of nowhere before we could abduct this pack…" Bambietta explained.

Jugram narrowed his gaze, "Does he have a name?"

"He said he was called White…but his name is Ichigo Kurosaki," Bambietta stated.

Yuzu's eyes lit up with disbelief, "Ichigo?!"

Bamibetta shot a glare towards Yuzu, "Who the hell is the girl, anyway?"

"She's our new recruit…Yuzu Kurosaki," Haschwalth confirmed.

"Wait a minute…Ichigo Kurosaki?!" Candice gasped. The lime blonde shot her gaze towards Yuzu immediately, "Isn't that your dead brother's name?"

"Wait…what?!" Bazz B half choked.

Haschwalth stared at Yuzu seriously, "Your brother is a hollow? Quincies aren't capable of turning into hollows."

"If Ichigo-sama's a Quincy then that might be why my blood didn't affect him…he was immune to it," Giselle interrupted. She had an eagerly excited face at the revelation as her eyes bored into Yuzu. The confirmation behind her comment was shocking.

Haschwalth cocked his head, "A hollow Quincy…that is unheard of."

Bambietta locked gazes with Yuzu angrily, "So she's _his_ sister?! Start talking!"

"Back off Bambietta…his majesty has ordered that nobody touch her," Candice interrupted.

The dark haired Quincy grinned sadistically, "Hmph…you and me are going to have a little talk here in a bit, Yuzu Kurosaki..."

"Ichigo…is White?" Yuzu shook her head confused, "that's impossible though."

Bambietta gave her an incredulous look, "What? You didn't know your brother was a hollow?"

"N-no…" Yuzu said quietly as she avoided the intimidating woman's gaze.

"Well he had pretty orange hair and these yellow black eyes. So cute…" Giselle said as if day-dreaming about him.

Bambietta rolled her eyes, "Screw that bastard…"

"I'm surprised you didn't…" Gremmy commented with a smug grin.

Ignoring his comment, Bambietta turned towards Jugram, "What are we going to do about this, Haschwalth?! That hollow sent us back to bring a message to the Wandenreich. He challenged us! He mocked our power!"

"Maybe your power…" Bazz B muttered under his breath.

"Watch your tone, Bambietta…I will inform Yhwach and see what he decides. I've heard rumors about a powerful hollow called White…if he's actually the King of Hueco Mundo then we might have to delay our plans," Jugram replied calmly.

"Screw that! We need to get our army and conquer that place ASAP!" Bambietta protested.

Giselle was quick to notice Haschwalth's patience fading and interjected nervously, "Aha…maybe we should get cleaned up Bambi-chan,"

"C'mon…I can't be the only person who thinks we should take Hueco Mundo right now?!" Bambietta ignored her companion.

Gremmy laughed at her, "You seem so eager to go back and get your ass handed to you again."

"I haven't seen Bambietta this worked up in a while," Bazz B said.

Yuzu tuned out the majority of their following arguments as tears fell down her face. She stood there frozen in disbelief, '_Onii-chan…is King of the Hollows?! B-but…how?_'

Noticing her crying, Candice wrapped an arm around her, "Hey you mind if I get her a uniform, Haschwalth?"

He jerked his head, "No…but mind yourself." It was clear to him that Candice wanted to get Yuzu away from the arguing Sternritters for some reason. Likely because Bambietta was mouthing off death threats. The young Kurosaki teen looked at Candice uncertainly as the blonde led her away.

After leaving the large area, they found themselves in a hallway walking together in silence. Candice looked down at her somewhat empathetically, "Why are you crying?"

"Onii-chan…is alive," Yuzu smiled weakly. Her expression was a mixture of happiness and sadness. On one hand she was thankful that Ichigo was alive in some way, but on the other it was still a terrible shocker to learn that he was the King of the Hollows. Yuzu looked down, '_Papa, doesn't know…it's going to break his heart if he learns Ichigo is White. What would Karin-chan say too?_'

Candice sighed, "Yeah…I guess so huh? I don't know what they have planned for him, but if he's a Quincy like you, then I'm sure Yhwach might want to recruit him. We're already trying to recruit Arrancars for the Wandenreich anyway."

"What are Arrancars?" Yuzu asked weakly between sobs.

"They're hollows with broken masks…they're practically human, and are pretty powerful according to our estimates. The higher ups seem to think they would make good soldiers," Candice explained.

"So then…Ichigo is himself?" Yuzu wondered.

The lime blonde shrugged, "I don't know…but if I was you, I wouldn't feel too upset about it. If he's really the Hollow King, then the rest of the Sternritters would love to capture him. I've heard all sorts of things about White…the Shinigami are terrified of him. Having him on our side would be like putting the final nail in their coffins."

'_But Papa and Karin-chan are Shinigami though…_' Yuzu thought conflicted. Despite Candice's attempt to calm her down, she still felt terrible that her family all stood on opposing sides now. '_What am I going to do?_'

The rest of their walk was spent in silence as Candice led Yuzu into a room, "This is one of the spare chambers…I assume it's the one Haschwalth was going to put you in anyways. It was my old room. Here let's find something appropriate for you to wear."

Yuzu took time to examine her new room as Candice went digging through a wardrobe. It was rather large, and well-furnished with pretty much anything somebody could ask for. She couldn't help but wonder if it was a standard room, "Umm…is everyone's room like this?"

Pulling out several outfits, Candice stopped momentarily and gave her an amused laugh, "What? Hell no…the regular people don't get quarters these nice. Though since you're in the same boat as Ishida, I'm assuming they'll give you Sternritter status."

"Sternritter status…but why?" she questioned.

Candice stood up and carried over the selected uniform towards Yuzu, "Who knows…but if that's the case, then I'll help train you if you'd like. Here try this on…it should fit you perfectly."

Yuzu stared at the uniform wide-eyed, "I…have to wear this?"

"Ah come on…it'll look good on you!" Candice licked her lips as if excited about dressing Yuzu up, "You can wear my old uniform. You can be like my little sister here."

"Why are you being nice to me?" Yuzu asked.

Candice was surprised by her blunt question, "Because we're both Quincies…and you need somebody to look after you. It's not easy being a girl around here, so you should stick with the rest of us. Jugram's good for training and probably has your best interest at heart, but I wouldn't spend time around anyone else until you've picked up the basics on being a Sternritter Girl from me."

Yuzu looked away skittishly, "I-I don't see why you would think I am capable of becoming a Sternritter…I'm not that strong."

"Please…if the high and mighty Ishida felt you were worth his time, then you definitely are. Now put your new uniform on!" Candice grinned sticking out her tongue.

After putting on the selected outfit, Yuzu blushed with embarrassment as she examined herself in one of the room's mirrors. "I feel a bit…exposed," Yuzu spoke up uncertainly as she looked over her uniform.

Candice gave her a similar outfit to her own, much to Yuzu's dislike. She wore short white shorts, long boots, and a mid top uniform shirt. Thankfully, it didn't expose her chest, like Candice's, but Yuzu still felt a bit uncomfortable in it.

The lime blonde beamed proudly, "My old uniform looks good on you."

'_Why is she doing this…I don't get it_,' Yuzu thought suspiciously. She smiled weakly at Candice, "Umm…you don't think it looks a bit…"

"Slutty? Shit…don't let Candice dress you up. Hey girl, come here, I'll get you a much more appropriate uniform," a voice sounded from the doorway.

The Mohawk man from earlier strolled into the room and gave Candice a disapproving look, "You bitches need to leave her alone. Bambietta's got enough whores in her posse. I'm not gonna let you corrupt some innocent girl."

"Bazz B…you should just mind your own business. The girl doesn't concern you at all," Candice crossed her arms.

He cocked his head, "She's the Hollow King's sister…I think she does. Kurosaki here doesn't need you dumb sluts trying to doll her up. You don't have to listen to her, Kurosaki…I'll get you an actual uniform, if you'd prefer."

Before Yuzu could agree to the man's suggestion, Candice spoke up first, "She's quite content in her current uniform…so get lost Bazz B. By the way, nice outburst at the assembly earlier…you made yourself look like an idiot."

Bazz B glared at her, "Well call me crazy for wondering why some guy we've never met is going to be his majesty's successor!"

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else? Yuzu is under my tutelage and I have nothing left to say to you," Candice dismissed him.

The man gave Yuzu a calm stare, "If they start making you do weird shit, just come and tell me. Also whenever you get bored of Candy Tits, you can always come to me for training if you want. I'd hate to see a nice girl like you end up being in Bambi's skank brigade."

"You done…go away now," Candice said annoyed.

Despite Bazz B's fiery attitude, Yuzu actually felt relieved that somebody other than Candice wanted to train her. '_I don't know what's going to happen. Ichigo, I wish you would just come and save me like you always used to._'

"Yeah yeah…I got a bone to pick with the boss anyways," Bazz B said annoyed as he made his way for the exit.

Before he left, Candice spoke up, "Hey, what did they decide on Hueco Mundo?"

Bazz B glanced back and shrugged, "Fuck if I know…Bambietta supposedly has a recording of White, that she took as they fled. Apparently everyone's watching it right now."

"What?! I want to see!" Candice ran to the door and pushed past him, "C'mon Yuzu let's go see what your brother looks like."

Somehow the idea seemed simultaneously amazing yet morbid to Yuzu. She quickly followed Candice past Bazz B, who simply rolled his eyes, "Damn bitch…"

After a quick run back into the main room, Candice and Yuzu noticed all the Sternritters standing around a large display monitor. Gremmy shook his head and laughed as he hit the replay, "Wow…so you had enough time to record him, but not to fight back huh?"

Yuzu glanced up at the screen and saw it replay. It started with Ichigo standing over another broken masked hollow. She could only assume it was an Arrancar. The image zoomed in briefly and caught Ichigo's face. Bambietta spoke in the video, "You haven't seen the last of us…I'll get you back for this, mark my words."

Gremmy burst into laughing at the comment, "Bahaha! He probably thought you were a joke…you sound so corny saying that."

He paused the video directly over Ichigo's face and looked at it curiously, "So this guy's the hollow king?"

"Why did you have a recording device anyway?" one of the other Sternritters asked. He had black hair and a noticeably suave appearance. His nonchalant expression radiated a calm vibe.

"Who cares…the fact that she failed to bring him back is what's sad…" Gremmy said amused.

"Shut up! He's the Hollow King…it's not like I got beat by some regular Arrancar. I wonder how well you'd fare against him?!" she hissed.

"Well, in her defense, at least we know what this guy looks like now," the black haired Quincy said approvingly.

"Askin is right…" a man with glasses and a moustache interjected, "at least she took the initiative to bring this back."

Gremmy shrugged, "I'll make sure Haschwalth sends me next time…"

Askin noticed Yuzu and Candice back in the room and quickly waved them over, "Hey new girl…does White look like your brother?"

Yuzu walked over in front of several of the Sternritters and stared at the image of Ichigo intently. There was no doubt in her mind it was Ichigo. His face looked, aged, but seeing it with his long orange hair, she nodded in acceptance, "Yes…onii-chan is White."

"Wow, you say that like it's such a terrible thing," Giselle said cheerily, "I'd kill to have an Onii-chan like that."

"I'll bet you would…" Askin shook his head amused.

"Giselle was right though. He is quite attractive…for a hollow. I'm surprised a hollow that pretty is their king." a busty woman added. she had long dark pink hair, and a tall, slender physique.

"Pretty?! What the hell are you saying? Define 'pretty.'" Bambietta scowled.

The woman sighed in response, "Well, I don't know…he's pleasant looking. Not something you'd expect to see from a hollow of that caliber."

"Are we really going to stand around and comment on the aesthetics of a hollow's face? This is hardly relevant…" Askin said with a casual sigh.

Giselle grinned at the man, "Nobody mentioned his aesthetics, but you're definitely right about that, Askin! So you like him too?!"

The suave Sternritter chuckled, "I don't even know the guy and I like him more than you...that much is true."

"But do you _like_ like him Askin? That might explain your immunity to my charms," Giselle laughed suggestively.

The man's mouth hung open for a moment as he looked at Giselle perplexed. "You must be a genius, Giselle...truly I am in awe of your awareness."

His tone was so obviously sarcastic that it caused the other Sternritter to frown. She stuck her tongue out at him, "Awww, you're no fun anymore Askin! Don't even act like you would say no!"

"To who? Him or you?" the man checked cautiously.

"Both...at the same time," Giselle winked. Dead silence followed her comment.

Askin gawked at Giselle for a moment before looking away, "That's some imagination you've got…but I would prefer if you kept me out of your twisted fantasies. I'm just going to pretend that this awkward conversation didn't happen."

"Somehow I wouldn't doubt her logic is unfounded…I mean if anybody could tell it'd be her," Gremmy snickered.

"Now I see why you two aren't partnered together anymore…" the evil scientist Sternritter said seriously.

Askin put his hands behind his head and stretched, "Yeah whatever, Quilge…nobody asked you anyways. Shouldn't you be dissecting people right now? I'm surprised you two aren't best friends..."

"You're so mean to me, Askin…you didn't used to be," Giselle pouted.

"Yeah that was before I learned you were crazy." he dismissed.

"You two must have had a lot of fun working together," Quilge smiled evilly as he adjusted his glasses.

"If you say so…" the man replied carelessly.

"What do you think, about White, Candice? You're usually never quiet about this sort of thing?" the pink haired Sternritter spoke up, shifting the room's attention.

Candice glanced over at her embarrassed, "Hey now, it doesn't matter what I think about him, Meninas."

Meninas raised a brow, "That's a first…"

"For the first time in her life, Candice is speechless," another woman cut in. Well to Yuzu she appeared less a woman and more a girl. She had short blonde hair and was noticeably short and flat.

Candice forcibly laughed to hide her embarrassment, "As if…I was just curious about what White looked like."

"Evidently…you came running back here fast enough, didn't you?" Meninas laughed.

"Well, as entertaining as this girl talk has been…I'm going to go check on Jugram…" Askin shrugged as he took his leave. Several other Sternritters followed his example left without saying a word, leaving only a few behind.

Right before Askin left the grand chamber, Giselle waved at him, "You're welcome to join us whenever you want Askin!"

The man visibly shuddered at the comment, "I'll pass…" He immediately left following his remark.

Bambietta sent a sharp glare towards Yuzu and then Candice, "You dressed her up already?"

"Yeah, doesn't she look cute?" Candice grinned.

The dark haired woman eyed Yuzu intently, "Come with me, new girl…I wanna talk to you."

"Oh jeez…not another one," Gremmy shook his head. As he took his leave, Gremmy noticed one of his fellow Sternritters staring at the image of Ichigo still.

He had a smile etched across his face. Gremmy glanced up at him curiously, "What's up Gerard? You look worked up."

The other Quincy in question was a large, muscular man with blonde hair and a headpiece like mask greatly resembling a Nordic helmet. He gave Gremmy a brief look, "Those are some intense eyes…I hope I get to fight him."

"As if you'd get near him, before I finished the job," Gremmy shook his head as he walked past the large warrior.

Gerard didn't even acknowledge Gremmy's comment, as the young blonde walked away. Gremmy stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the larger Sternritter with a murderous grin, "You can't deny that I am the strongest Sternritter…"

The Nordic like Sternritter turned his head briefly and smiled, "Keep telling yourself that…"

"Whatever…I'll show you one day, just how vast the difference in our power is," Gremmy got the final word in before departing. After he left the muscular Sternritter turned back to look at the screen.

A masked man standing next to Gerard nudged him curiously, "So Haschwalth has postponed the invasion? What do you think about all of this?"

"It would seem so…" Gerard Valkyrie replied casually, "I wouldn't worry about it Mask. We'll see Hueco Mundo very soon. As if White wasn't legendary enough, he's part Quincy too. There will be a lot of glory in battling him. I can't wait…"

The other man in question resembled a masked wrestler of some kind. He gave Gerard an uncertain look, "What do you think about the emperor's new successor, and the new girl?"

"We'll see how the new guy proves himself when the time comes…until then, I trust in his Majesty's decision. As for the girl…she's somebody else's problem," the large warrior noted.

"Let's get out of here…new girl come with us," Bambietta gestured as she began to leave. Yuzu was dragged along with a large band of the Sternritter women shortly after. Bambietta strutted with a furious pep in her step as they exited the large room.

Candice quickly caught up with the dark haired woman, leaving Yuzu in the back with the other women. The short blonde one looked Yuzu over curiously, "So…you're name was Yuzu Kurosaki right? Hi, I'm Liltotto Lamperd."

"I'm Meninas McAllen," the pink haired woman followed. Yuzu couldn't help but like her uniform. She had a heart shaped belt over what appeared to be an almost nurse like coat. It greatly reminded her of the one she used to wear when helping her father at the clininc. '_Why can't I wear something like that instead?_' Yuzu thought in admiration. The distracting thoughts were one of the few things keeping her from freaking out at the moment.

Giselle, who was still covered in dried blood, grabbed Yuzu's hand and held it as they walked, "I'm Giselle Gewelle…Bambi-chan's favorite girl."

Yuzu immediately tried to pull her hand away not feeling comfortable with Giselle's demeanor. It proved to be futile, unfortunately, which simply led her to ignore the situation. The Kurosaki teen eyed Giselle nervously, '_She seemed pretty interested in onii-chan…gosh I hope she doesn't mean…romantically?!_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Outside Yhwach's Chambers XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Bazz B came charging down the hallway, but was immediately stopped as Haschwalth blocked his path, "Where are you going, Bazz B?"

"C'mon Haschwalth…are you really going to accept what just happened with this guy? What makes him worthy to be the successor. I thought it would have been you at least!" Bazz B complained.

The blonde man shook his head, "You needn't concern yourself with his majesty's choice. His will is the only thing that truly matters. I accept that and so should you."

"You're a damn coward! If you're not going to do something about this, then I will! Maybe you don't want to be the successor…fine, but I'll sooner take the throne myself before I let some stranger do it!" Bazz B said angrily.

"Calm yourself…and do what you're told," Haschwalth replied passively.

Bazz B glared, "Get a grip, Jugram!"

"Bazz B is calm, can't you tell?" a third voice sounded. Coming down the hallway, they noticed Askin with an amused look on his face.

"What are you getting at, Askin?!" Bazz B demanded.

The newcomer shrugged, "You guys should really learn how to shut up about things…questioning Yhwach's decision is not in your best interest. I say let it go…it's obvious he chose that guy for a reason."

"Whatever…I'm out of here. Where's the new girl at anyways?" Bazz B questioned.

Jugram eyed Bazz B curiously, "Why do you ask?"

"I'm going to save her from the Tramp squad…" he said before walking off with an angry look on his face.

Askin glanced over at Jugram curiously, "What's with his sudden interest in the girl?"

The blonde man shrugged, "I don't know…but at least it's something to occupy him while he cools off."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Bambietta's Room XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It didn't take long for them to get to where they were going thankfully. After a short walk, they finally arrived at a large room, where Yuzu was dragged inside. Bambietta immediately threw off several articles of burnt clothing, but stopped as she watched Yuzu for a moment.

"You're that hollow's sister…and you're one of us? Hmph…talk about strange," Bambietta sighed.

Yuzu was quick to conclude that this dark haired woman was not going to be as friendly as the others. "Still…Jugram and Yhwach both seem to be fine with you being here. Whatever…do you know why I wanted to talk to you, Yuzu-chan? You don't mind if I call you that do you?"

The Kurosaki girl said nothing in response, but a shiver ran down her spine as Giselle pushed her closer towards Bambietta. The Sternritter woman grabbed Yuzu's chin and turned her face on both sides as if examining the girl. She reached up and grabbed a handful of Yuzu's hair while doing so, "I'll bet you'd make good leverage if I wanted to capture your brother…I wonder just how loyal you really are."

"Bambietta…don't do that," Candice cut in, "you're not allowed to hurt her."

The sadistic woman smiled at Candice, "Hurt her? Don't be ridiculous…I'm not hurting you am I sweetheart?"

"N-no…" Yuzu replied nervously.

After a brief silence, Bambietta trailed her hand down over Yuzu's uniform and gave her a quick slap on the butt, "You're a cute girl…I'll make sure you're well taken care of around here. So long as you know your place, and do what you're told…"

Yuzu half yelped but let out the deep breath she was holding as Bambietta eyed her uniform up and down, "Stick with me, Yuzu-chan, and I'll make sure none of the guys around here do anything to you."

"Err…thanks," she said with a forced smile. Inwardly she was terrified of this woman. '_I'd rather take my chances with them…_' Yuzu thought worried.

"So…Yuzu-chan, before I get myself cleaned up, I was wondering what you could tell me about your big brother," Bambietta inquired. Her tone seemed less threatening and more curious now.

"Ichigo died a few years ago…I honestly haven't seen him since he was alive," Yuzu answered honestly.

Liltotto eased the tension as she joined the conversation, "Don't mind Bambietta…she's probably just scoping him out if you know what I mean."

Candice crossed her arms and grinned smugly, "Looks like she's got a new target now…at least it'll keep her from killing all the studs around here like some kind of praying mantis."

Bambietta sent the lime blonde a disapproving look, "Maybe you should worry less about what I choose to do with my free time, Candice…plus it's not like you're a saint."

"It's just such a waste though…you're like some kind of predator, Bambi. I don't know who's worse…you or Giselle," Candice said shaking her head.

"There's still plenty of guys left around here. Candy-chan, you're such a horny slut " Giselle said amusedly.

Candice rolled her eyes, "That's not the point, Giselle…and you're more promiscuous than anyone here, so I don't want to hear it. "

"Coming from Giselle, that's hilarious…" Liltotto shook her head at the other Quincy.

"You girls should really be more conservative…guys like that better," Meninas interjected shaking her head.

The blonde crossed her arms, "You act like I don't have standards…I don't do that stuff with just anybody."

There was an awkward silence after her statement as everyone looked away. The Sternritter began to get flustered, "Oh come on! It's been ages since I've done anything…"

"Don't worry Candy-chan, I'll share Ichigo-sama with you," Giselle said with a peppy smile.

Yuzu's eyes widened as she examined Candice's reaction. The lime blonde looked away, avoiding Yuzu's gaze, "Umm, I doubt that would ever happen…"

"I thought I already told you, Gigi…that guy's not interested in you. Plus, there won't be anything left of him, once I'm through with him," Bambietta said with a sadistic grin.

"Aww, Bambi-chan, please share him!" Giselle pouted.

Candice seemed annoyed by the comment, "Maybe you two forgot…but he is the King of Hueco Mundo. I highly doubt any of us will be facing off against him. Plus, even if you could get your hands on him…what makes you think you could do anything? He obviously didn't have trouble throwing you two hustlers around."

"Maybe that's why she's so into this…" Meninas giggled.

Liltotto nodded in approval, "Regardless…Candice is right. A hollow who's part Quincy is not something Yhwach will overlook. Considering he's the King of Hueco Mundo, I doubt any of us will be fighting him personally. Even once we do beat him, it seems more than likely that his majesty will simply capture Ichigo. So really you can't touch him, Bambietta…"

"Yeah, I doubt you'll get the kind of payback you're thinking of…unless you had something else in mind." Meninas added with a smirk.

Bambietta scowled at them but soon noticed Yuzu's uncomfortable expression. It was obvious that the teenager was not used to the profane way they were talking. The fact that it involved Ichigo made the subject matter ten times worse. Examining her curiously, Bambietta smiled, "Hey Yuzu-chan…what makes your brother tick anyway? What kind of a guy is he?"

"W-what do you mean?" she questioned uncertainly.

The dark haired Sternritter took off more of her clothes and fell back on her bed, "Ah you know…what's he like and dislike? What kinds of girls does he go for?"

There was a very awkward silence as Yuzu blushed uncontrollably, "I-I don't know…Onii-chan didn't really care about that kind of stuff, from what I remember. Why do you ask?"

"Hmm…even better. I'll get my payback…" the dark haired woman grinned malevolently as she ignored Yuzu's question.

Giselle smiled at her, "I know that look, Bambi-chan…"

"Umm, anyways," Candice tried to change the subject since it was clearly not something Yuzu wanted to talk about, "how do you girls like Yuzu's uniform? Doesn't she look like a younger version of me?"

"If by younger, you mean a better, less trashy version of you, then yeah…" Meninas said jokingly.

Candice shot her a sharp look, "Hey now…I didn't have these when I was her age. Plus who are you calling trashy? I look good…why not show myself off?"

Yuzu looked away embarrassed as Candice grabbed her chest and stuck her tongue out towards the other woman. Bambietta stared at Yuzu during this and smiled wickedly at the girl's innocent expression.

"How do you think Ichigo would react to seeing his cute little sister wearing that uniform?" Bambietta teased.

"Bambietta, leave her alone…you're embarrassing her," Candice said disapprovingly.

"Hey whatever…I know a girl with a brother complex when I see one," Bambietta shrugged.

"Eh?!" Yuzu shrieked, "w-w-what are you saying? What's that?"

Bambietta stood up and wrapped her arms around Yuzu before whispering in her ear. Yuzu face quickly turned pink as she gasped.

Giselle giggled at her reaction, "Bambi-chan, you're so dirty!"

"Hey sluts, get away from her…" A voice came from the door. All of the women looked over shocked when they noticed a man standing at the door. It was none other than Bazz B.

"Bazz B?! What do you want?! Bambietta demanded as she immediately let go of Yuzu and covered parts of herself.

"C'mon Kurosaki…you don't have to waste your time with these dirty bitches," Bazz B directed towards Yuzu.

The girl was shocked by his arrival, but not as much as the others were. "Hey, we're not done talking to her, and Yuzu-chan is with us! Got that?! What the hell is she to you anyways?!" Bambietta countered.

The man bit his tongue and took a deep breath. It was obvious he was trying not to get angry. He cracked a fist at Bambietta, but ignored her as he tried to remain calm in front of Yuzu, "You coming, girl?"

Yuzu immediately took her opportunity to get away from the Sternritter girls. Giselle and Bambietta in particular, frightened her. Before she could make it all the way, Candice quickly cut her off and got between Yuzu and Bazz B.

"Bazz B, I thought I told you to get lost! I'm the one who's going to train Yuzu," Candice huffed.

"Hey, why don't we let her decide who she'd rather be around…me, or your tramp squad?" the man said imposingly as he got closer.

"Get out of my room, Bazz B!" Bambietta shouted.

"Or what? You'll kill me? Hahaha…I'm not like the pencil neck grunts you chop up around here, Bambietta. Try to stop me…" Bazz B threatened.

"You're not going to touch her, Bazz B…Yuzu's with me," Candice said angrily as she pushed him back.

Before the man could retaliate, Yuzu immediately walked past Candice, "It's okay…I'll go with him."

"Yuzu, you don't have to do what he says!" Candice protested, but shut up as the girl now stood behind Bazz B. The man shook his head at the women in the room, "See ya later, girls…C'mon Kurosaki."

Without another word, the duo left. They only made it halfway down the hallway, before Candice came charging after them. The blonde tackled Bazz B into a wall and grabbed him by the collar, "You can't do this!"

The man immediately pushed her back and reversed their situation as he grabbed her by the throat, "Watch me, skank!"

"Enough, you two…" a third voice sounded. Yuzu, as well as the two Sternritters gawked in surprise when they noticed Haschwalth standing there.

The Mohawk man immediately let go of Candice and directed a fiery gaze at the blonde man, "I'll train the girl, Jugram…I don't trust her alone with Bambietta or Giselle."

"Neither do I, Bazz B…that's why I'm the one watching her," Candice clarified.

Jugram looked between them for a moment and sighed, "Since you're both so adamant about this, you're both responsible for the girl. If anything happens to her, I'll kill you both. Is that clear?"

Both Quincies went dead silent and traded grudging looks with one another. Finally they both nodded in acceptance.

Before Haschwalth turned to leave, Yuzu quickly caught his attention, "Haschwalth-sama…umm, what are you guys going to do to my brother?"

The blonde gave her a stoic look, "Assimilate him…or kill him. Nothing will stand in Yhwach's way."

Yuzu paled at the news, '_Ichigo…_'

"Am I a hostage?" Yuzu asked softly causing the three Sternritters to react differently.

"No…but your loyalty will be tested if your brother fails to bend his knee to Yhwach. Keep that in mind," Jugram explained.

After the blonde man left, Bazz B and Candice traded looks again. The woman sighed, "Alright…well I guess we're both training her then. You want to split it up by days or shifts? Personally, I'd rather you not be in the picture when I'm training her."

"Likewise…" he countered with a glare.

"You can have her for the rest of the day…and I'll grab Yuzu tomorrow," Candice concluded.

"Fine…see ya later," Bazz B dismissed. Without another word, the blonde took her leave and headed back for Bambietta's room. After she left, the Mohawk Quincy looked down at Yuzu and sighed, "Well, now that we're finally free, let's see what you can do."

"Thanks for saving me…from those women," Yuzu said courteously.

The man said nothing as he gestured for the girl to follow him. Despite his demeanor, Yuzu already favored him over Bambietta's crew. Yuzu looked down concerned, '_They were saying a lot of weird stuff back there about Ichigo…what is she going to do to him?_'

The girl's mind trailed off that thought as she tried to rationalize the other parts of their conversations, '_How am I supposed to survive here with those scary women around? That Bambietta was a monster…_'

Back in said woman's room, Bambietta gave Candice a scowl, "What's with you being some big damn hero all of a sudden? I was just messing with her. Now Bazz B's got her?"

"I hate that guy…who does he think he is coming in here like that?" Candice sighed.

Bambietta scoffed, "Not like it really matters anyways…she'll be around. I'm not done talking to her about her onii-chan,"

"I wonder how she would feel about me marrying her brother?" Giselle said out of nowhere.

Everyone in the room shot her a disbelieving glance. Bambietta huffed in annoyance, "I thought I already told you Gigi…that ship won't sail! I'd sink it myself if I had to!"

"You're so dramatic, Bambi-chan." Giselle giggled.

"I just want to go back and fight that arrogant bastard again…we could take Hueco Mundo right now! Why are we waiting?" Bambietta sighed.

Meninas cocked her head at Bambietta, "I don't think taking Hueco Mundo is that simple. If they have an actual king, then we will need a considerable force to conquer them. Plus, it's not like we can steal a hollow's Resurreccion…and Yhwach can't leave this place for very long. So us running in blindly isn't something we should attempt. If they have an army then we should wait and see what his Majesty's plan is. I'm sure Yhwach will give the word whenever he feels it necessary to capture Hueco Mundo."

"Hmph…if it were up to me, I'd lure White out with his little sister," Bambietta said as her mind went off on a diabolical imagination.

"You seem pretty obsessed about this guy…maybe more than Giselle is," Meninas laughed.

"Don't even say that! I'm not obsessed, I'm pissed off!" Bambietta growled.

"That's a pretty fine line when it comes to you…" Liltotto noted.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Inside Yhwach's Chambers XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Why would you choose me to be your successor?" Uryu asked uncertainly, "it seemed unfounded considering my lack of experience here."

"Do you find that strange, Uryu?" the Quincy Emperor asked.

Uryu adjusted his glasses, "It will certainly cause discord amongst the ranks…"

"You seem capable of understanding without my help. Though let me ask you something…why are you alive right now?" Yhwach questioned.

The Quincy teenager shook his head and remained silent. It was obvious he had no clue what the Quincy leader was referring to.

"You are the only surviving Gemischt Quincy of the Auswahlen…the only one in history to survive it. That makes you the last Quincy to survive in this world. That right there is a power that allows you to surpass even me. It is because of this, that you will be my eventual successor," the emperor clarified.

Uryu's eyes widened surprised, "I see…so then what about Yuzu? What are your plans for her?"

"She is an anomaly much like yourself. One with a great potential to become powerful. She will make a fine Sternritter one day," Yhwach nodded.

Uryu frowned and looked away for a brief moment, "Is she allowed to leave?"

"No…she knows about us now, which makes her one of us. There is no going back for either you or Yuzu Kurosaki. Both of you will be great assets in the war to come. She'll learn to appreciate her position of honor here…and so will you," Yhwach explained.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After a short recovery, Ichigo and Neliel had the other three Arrancars up and walking. They were especially fearful to see Ichigo again, but after hearing about his rescue, they calmed down.

Dordoni let out an over-exaggerated sigh of relief, as Nel finished the story. The man turned towards Ichigo and nodded respectfully, "You have my thanks, White…it is good to know that you are looking out for Arrancars."

"Sorry if we were a bit…rude, the last time we met," Gantenbainne exclaimed.

Ichigo shook his head, "Don't worry about it…a lot has happened since then."

"Hey White…umm, when did you become an Arrancar if you don't mind me asking?" Cirucci seemed curious.

The hollow king noticed all four arrancars staring in anticipation. Nel seemed the most eager to know, "Yeah, you said you would tell me about all the stuff that's happened since then…"

"Alright, well after I parted ways with you guys…" Ichigo said almost apologetically, "My three adjucha followers and I just wandered the desert hunting and training. After they took down a dangerous Adjucha named Yammy, we all came across another Vasto Lorde, called Harribel. She had two adjucha followers of her own. Well, I don't remember how it happened exactly, but we ended up joining forces. I traveled with her for a while, and continued training the Adjuchas. Eventually, we came across others and I decided that I had to confront Barragan. He called everyone to Las Noches so that we could battle for the throne of Hueco Mundo," Ichigo narrated the recent events.

Dordoni and Gantenbaine seemed speechless that he would challenge Barragan. Cirucci jaw-dropped, and Nel's eyes widened. The sea-green haired woman nodded, "I get it now…so Barragan heard about you gathering allies, and he thought you were going to challenge him for the throne?"

"I was going to challenge him…I would have a lot sooner if I hadn't met so many different hollows along the way. Well, moving on…when I confronted Barragan, another Vasto Lorde showed up and fought us as well. His name is Grimmjow…and he was that panther I spared the first time you saw me, Nel."

"Really? That's unfortunate…" she frowned.

Ichigo noticed her saddened expression and smiled, "Don't worry…I didn't kill him or Barragan. After I won, I spared them both, and rallied Hueco Mundo under my rule. I became an Arrancar shortly after that…with the help of a friend."

"A friend? Oh…" Nel said distantly.

"Well, that aside…I met this traitor Shinigami captain who told me about a mystical relic that can turn regular hollows into Arrancars. It's called the Hogyoku…and I just returned from the Soul Society with it," Ichigo explained the good news.

The arrancars looked ecstatic by the news, but Nel seemed doubtful, "How is that possible? Are you sure it can really do that?"

"Well…I'm about to find out once I return to Las Noches. It seems like I ran into you guys just in time. You're all welcome to live in Las Noches with the rest of us."

"So you're really the King of Hueco Mundo now?" Cirucci shook her head as if the idea was surreal.

Ichigo nodded, "Yes…and so long as I'm king, hollows will stand united against Shinigami and Quiny alike."

"Wow, you're not so bad, White…but I'm still terrified of you," Gantenbainne chuckled.

The hollow king grinned at his remark, "C'mon guys…let's go."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

With Nel and the other Arrancars at his side, Ichigo finally arrived back at Las Noches. Just in time too it seemed since Barragan was having a stand off with Aizen.

"Shinigami, Where is High King White?! It has been too long!" Barragan demanded imposingly. To his sides stood most of his followers as well as Grimmjow.

The blue haired beast growled, "Got a bit bloodied up did you?! What happened, Shinigami?!"

Gin and Kaname were both there as well as several other important authority figures in Las Noches. Right now it seemed Ulquiorra was the only thing keeping them from attacking the Shinigami captains.

Ichigo quickly made his presence known as he landed between Aizen and Barragan, "I'm back!"

"Just in time, too…these two were about to start a fight.," Ulquiorra explained as he ignored Grimmjow and Barragan's angry remarks.

"I saw this one return without you…bleeding! You can understand my concern," Barragan told Ichigo as he pointed at Aizen.

Ichigo nodded his head, "Yes, I sent him ahead…there was a battle in the outskirts of Hueco Mundo. I went to investigate, and brought back the Arrancars involved. As for Aizen's blood…don't worry about it."

Grimmjow and Barragan both seemed to understand it as they examined Aizen's wound. It was clear to them now that Ichigo had to assert himself over the Shinigami Captain.

"Arrancars? Hmph…what were you all fighting out there anyway?" Grimmjow asked curiously. His gaze was focused on Nel, Dordoni, Cirucci, and Gantenbainne. They were all very quiet, much to the Vasto Lorde's interest.

Nel quickly spoke for herself as she explained the situation, "We were attacked by these strange humans called Quincies. They were talking about abducting Arrancars. Ichigo showed up just in time to stop them."

"Quincies?!" Barragan hissed, "disgusting!"

Aizen had a somewhat troubled face as he looked at Ichigo. The hollow king nodded, "They're part of some organization called the Wandenreich. They want to conquer Hueco Mundo."

"Never!" Barragan hissed furiously.

Ichigo nodded in agreement, "That's right…it will never happen so long as we live. We managed to retrieve the Hogyoku…so let's start building our army."

"Yes!" Grimmjow exclaimed in approval.

Ichigo couldn't help but notice that Aizen, Gin, and Tousen were all troubled by the news of the Quincies. Aizen in particular seemed deep in thought.

"This Hogyoku better work, otherwise these Shinigami will die…" Barragan added.

"My my…isn't he the charming fellow?" Gin smart mouthed. Tousen remained silent on the other hand.

Aizen nodded, "I assure you it will…"

"Let's go to the tower throne room and test it then," Barragan said darkly.

"Ulquiorra, send word for Harribel and Wonderweiss. Gin, Kaname, Sosuke…come with me," Ichigo announced.

Barragan glanced over at Ggio, "Gather up the strongest hollows."

"Yes my king…" Ggio nodded before leaping off.

Everyone else dispersed or fell in line as they all made their way towards the main throne room. They didn't make it far before an excited pack of Adjuchas caught up with them.

"Ichigo!" Apacci pranced cheerfully as she ran up behind him. As the hollow turned around, she was surprised to see his fragmented mask and face.

Menoly traded a shocked look with Loly, "Ichigo's mask…it's broken?"

"Hey girls…good to see you again. I'm an arrancar now."

"You look so…well less scary than you used to," Apacci said approvingly.

Ichigo nodded, "Good…how would you girls like to become arrancars too?"

"How?" Loly cut in excitedly as the group continued forward. Glancing over at Aizen, Ichigo answered, "Just come with us…I'll explain everything."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gathered within the open ceiling throne room atop one of Las Noches' towers was every one of Hueco Mundo's most powerful or established hollows. After hearing Ichigo's story about the invasion of the Soul Society and his skirmish with the Quincies, they were all fired up.

"I say we kill every last one of those pathetic creatures! They dare to proclaim themselves capable of conquering Hueco Mundo?!" Barragan spat.

Grimmjow grinned aggressively, "Shinigami and Quincies…I can't wait to slaughter them all!"

Harribel stared at Ichigo seriously, "If you sent a message like that to both of these factions, then we will likely be in the crossfire of a three way war."

"I know…but that's what it is going to take for them to understand our power. Hueco Mundo needs to be united now…more than ever. The Shinigami I recruited into our ranks are traitors. They seek to bring about the Soul Society's destruction. Whether you like it or not, you will all work with them. They answer only to me…is that understood?" Ichigo stated sternly.

Most of the room's inhabitants offered their various signs of acknowledgement. Ichigo nodded before focusing his gaze on Aizen, "Sosuke…bring the Hogyoku here. I want to test if it really can turn hollows into Arrancars."

Everyone in the room stared at the man curiously as he brought a tiny glowing gem out of his outfit. Aizen placed it on a pedestal and looked over the crowd of hollows, "Do I have any volunteers that want to go first?"

"I'll do it…" Harribel said calmly as she walked up first. Aizen grinned at her in his suave way, and nodded, "Good…by the way, I went ahead and took the liberty of securing all of you clothes."

"That was rather nice of you Aizen-sama," Gin chuckled.

Some of the Vasto Lordes gave Aizen curious looks, but Ichigo was quick to approve, "Good thinking…each of you will definitely understand once your transformation is over."

Harribel looked between Ichigo and Aizen for a moment uncertainly, "So how does this work exactly?"

"Place your hand on the pedestal…" Aizen instructed, as he caused the strange orb to emanate a bright light. Slowly, the blonde Vasto Lorde reached forward and touched it.

Everyone watched in anticipation as it quickly surrounded her in some kind of energy-like substance. After a massive surge of yellow energy erupted into the sky, she fell to the ground. Her appearance was shocking to many of the hollows present.

Her white, armor like skin was now darker and soft looking. She appeared absent of any noticeable hollow features other than part of her mask's mouthpiece and two chest pieces that extended partially over her exposed chest. Aizen handed her one of the white uniforms and smiled, "It would seem the process was a success."

"Did it work?" the blonde asked as she took the clothes and looked around at everyone's expressions. The adjuchas in particular seemed amazed by it. The mouth fragment of her hollow mask opened for a moment as she looked at Ichigo. He could see her human mouth beneath it and nodded approvingly, "She's definitely an Arrancar now."

"How does it look?" the woman asked as she looked over herself. It was then she noticed the sword nearby.

"You look amazing as always, Mistress Harribel!" Sung-sun commented in amazement. Many of the other Adjuchas offered various remarks.

Nnoitra couldn't help but mention her flesh, "You look so softer than before…and exposed."

"I feel stronger," Harribel stated.

Nel looked at Aizen approvingly, "This is amazing…every hollow in Las Noches can be an Arrancar now."

"That's the plan…" Ichigo nodded.

Apacci walked up to Ichigo's side and nudged him with her head, "Hey, Ichigo…promise me you won't laugh at my appearance."

"Why would I do that? I'm looking forward to seeing how all of you Adjuchas turn out," Ichigo replied with a smile. The Adjucha's eyes lit up with surprise, "Really?! Well I'll go next then!"

"Not so fast, Menoly and I want to go next," Loly cut in imposingly.

Mila Rose laughed at them as she shook her head, "I doubt you two will turn out as extravagant as me."

"Such modesty, Mila Rose…" Sung-sun giggled.

Many of Grimmjow's Adjucha followers whispered to one another about whether or not they trusted what was happening. The Blue haired vasto lorde quickly silenced their gossiping as he stared at Aizen, "So we're all going to have to do this?"

"Yes…I assure you it is worth it," Aizen reassured the former panther.

"Hmm…I will go next then," Barragan volunteered, "it will be interesting to see if this thing truly can amplify my power."

Harribel stared at Ichigo, as if expecting a reaction about her new appearance. He quickly acknowledged her curiosity, "You look good, Harribel…" Ichigo nodded, "you should get dressed though."

She nodded silently as she grabbed the white garb and took them to a more private location. Barragan immediately came forward and placed his hand on the Hogyoku next. Everyone watched with awe as his skeletal form soon fleshed out into the form of an older muscular man.

After the purple burst of power, he examined himself curiously, "I feel…more powerful. It will be interesting to put it to the test."

"Wonderweiss will go…" the Vasto Lorde himself said as he walked up to the pedestal.

Aizen gave him a curious look as if contemplating the idea, but quickly nodded in approval, "You're next then, Wonderweiss."

After the Vasto Lorde's transformation, he now had the appearance of a young purple eyed blonde. His mask fragment greatly resembled his mask's former headpiece.

"Where did you find this creature?" Barragan asked Ichigo as he examined Wonderweiss.

"Wonderweiss is from the Menos Forest," the newborn arrancar answered. Everyone seemed curious about the way he referred to himself in third person.

"Hey when can we go?" Menoly asked Ichigo anxiously.

"All of the Adjuchas can go ahead and line up…" Ichigo pointed. The five female Adjuchas raced to the front of the line and wrestled for the front. As Menoly and Loly pushed back and forth, Apacci slipped through to the pedestal and looked down at the Hogyoku curiously.

Reaching out one of her legs, she touched it with a hoofed foot. It quickly did its work and after a brief flash, Apacci was now in a human form. The woman immediately covered herself despite the awkwardness of her new body and checked everyone's faces.

She had a tomboyish hairstyle, a slender physique, and most noticeably two different colored eyes. One was ice blue, and the other a soft bronze. The darker eye had a red marking outlining it. Her mask fragment resembled the horn from her Adjucha form.

Ignoring the vast array of good and bad comments, she fearfully met Ichigo's gaze, wondering how she looked to him. He gave her a warm smile, much to her relief, "Looks good, Apacci…"

She felt an unusual sensation in her face and looked away, '_What is this feeling_?'

'_Is she blushing? Hmm…how cute,_' Gin thought amusedly.

"I'm going next!" Loly announced as she narrowly slipped past Menoly. One by one, all of the Adjuchas transformed into humanoid appearances. The girls in Ichigo and Harribel's respective groups turned out quite nicely in his opinion.

Menoly and Loly had similar mask fragments, but on opposite sides of their faces. Menoly had shorter, styled blonde hair with a blue eye, whilst Loly had black pigtails and a maroon colored eye. Their appearances were quite shocking considering the fact that both girls were former insect like adjuchas.

Ichigo couldn't help but notice the striking similarity each arrancar had to their previous Adjucha forms. Sung-sun, Mila Rose, and many of Grimmjow's followers greatly resembled their former appearances. Their mask fragments in particular were the defining parts.

After his entire group went, Grimmjow sighed, "Well I guess, I should do this too…"

Everyone watched eagerly as the blue Vasto Lorde stepped up and touched the Hogyoku inciting his transformation. Most of his mask broke off, and his hair receded too. After his armored feline traits disappeared, the only thing left was a mask mouthpiece covering the right part of his jaw.

His blue eyes had green marks streaked out from them and his face was noticeably masculine. Grimmjow looked unimpressed by his human like form at first, but it didn't take him long to notice an obvious difference in his power. He looked over at his Zanpakuto, '_This is a strange feeling…I know that blade's name. Pantera' _

Grimmjow didn't say anything, much to Ichigo's surprise, but his followers each had their own various remarks of approval.

The following hollows were Barragan's guards, and several of the notable Adjuchas that swore allegiance to Ichigo the other day. Among them were the tentacle armed Adjucha, the praying mantis, the butterfly, and the many-eyed, fiendish one. They all had similar transformations as they were turned into Arrancars.

After every hollow in the throne room had gone through the process, Aizen turned towards the natural Arrancars. "The Hogyoku can enhance the powers of natural Arrancars as well. Any of you care to accept a boost in power?" Aizen asked.

Starrk, who had been quiet for the better part of ordeal, nodded as he and Lilynette walked up to it. He was about to touch it, but stopped, "I'm already powerful enough…"

"C'mon just do it Starrk!" Lilynette convinced, "we're not going to kill anyone with our power around here!"

"Fine…fine," he gave in to her demand. After both of them received an upgrade from the Hogyoku, Ichigo motioned for Nel and her comrades to go next, "You guys definitely need an upgrade…maybe it'll give you an edge over the Quincies next time."

"Damn those Quincies." Cirucci said with a bitter glare.

"I am still amazed you're able to create Arrancars…we spent years looking for others," Dordoni spoke to Aizen.

Gantenbainne looked over at Nel, "You should go first, Neliel…"

"Okay…" the woman replied. Her sea-green hair flowed elegantly as she made her way there. After she and her comrades received the power up, Ulquiorra was the second to last one to do so. His was much flashier than most of the others expected. With everyone else completed, Aizen rested his eyes on Ichigo last, "You too, Ichigo…"

"It seems strange you would want to empower me," the hollow king shrugged.

Aizen gave him a serious stare, "You need more power. Please accept the Hogyoku's enhancement. You won't regret it."

Despite the unusual tension between the two, Ichigo felt that Aizen was genuine in his desire to empower the hollows. His actions thus far had proven it. Looking around at his inner circle of followers, he could sense a dramatic difference in their power levels. '_I wonder what this will do to me…_' Ichigo thought.

Reaching his hand down over the orb, he looked at Aizen curiously as the Shinigami reached down to touch it as well. The moment both of their hands touched the orb, an unrestrained power erupted forth.

It fired into the sky in a blinding display of brilliance and power. Every arrancar present, as well as Gin and Kaname felt crushed under the overwhelming pressure in the air and immediately fell to their knees. It was as if the gravity became one hundred times greater. Ulquiorra watched the scene with both fear and amazement, '_What is this power? I can't even move._'

Las Noches began to shake from the sheer, overwhelming force of the Hogyoku. Gin's eyes visibly opened as he stared at the Hogyoku which had Ichigo and Aizen's hands both on it still, '_Their combined power is causing the desert to shake…what is Aizen doing?_'

As the light got even brighter, everyone then felt the air become weightless. The pressure was now gone as both the Arrancar and the Shinigami glowed profusely. Barragan watched the scene with disbelief, '_I can't sense their power anymore…what is this?_'

After a brief moment of weightlessness in the air, Aizen let go of the orb. The moment he did so, the immeasurable pressure returned forcing everyone down again. It began to diminish, slowly as Ichigo let go of the Hogyoku as well. After a short recession, things were back to normal.

Everyone stared incredulously at Ichigo and Aizen wondering what the hell just happened. Grimmjow piped up furiously, "What did you just do?!"

Ichigo looked down at his hand for a moment. It was seared from the raw power. Aizen had a similar mark on his hand as well. The Shinigami took in Ichigo's reaction before explaining the situation, "When a being that possesses power greater than several captains touches the Hogyoku, they briefly fuse for a moment. When this happens, it will radiate power as if fully awake."

'_So the two of them touching it at the same time caused it to awaken. Though I wonder why it didn't happen earlier? I wonder if Captain Aizen combined it with his own Hogyoku when Ichigo was dealing with those Quincies._' Gin contemplated.

Ichigo looked down at his seared hand curiously, '_What was that just now? I've never felt that kind of power before…_'

Reaching down to retrieve the Hogyoku, Aizen smiled approvingly, "It is done…you are all Arrancars now. Might I suggest you all get some rest. Later we will turn the rest of the lesser hollows, if that is okay with you, Ichigo…"

The hollow kind nodded, "That's fine…everybody go take a break. Try to get used to your new bodies. Once we get the rest of Las Noches transformed, our training begins."

"May I speak to you in private?" Aizen requested. The hollow nodded in response, "Yes…"

After a short trip to an adjacent throne tower, Ichigo and Aizen landed. The hollow stared at Aizen curiously as he wondered what the Shinigami wanted to talk about.

The man turned around slowly and gave Ichigo a serious look, "You will need to be extra vigilant…if Quincies have their eyes set on Hueco Mundo, then they pose a much larger threat than the Shinigami for the time being. It might be in our best interest to prepare for them first."

"What do you know about this Wandenreich, anyway? The Quincies I encountered mentioned their emperor…Yhwach," Ichigo explained.

Aizen seemed unfazed by the name, "The father of all Quincies…he is remarkably powerful. Godlike according to some. Even the Captain Commander wouldn't take him lightly. The Hogyoku's powers will help accelerate your ascension…but you must not underestimate him. You still need more power, before you're ready…"

"So what would you have me do? How could I possibly become more powerful?" Ichigo wondered.

Aizen shrugged, "You're the hollow king…I'm sure you can figure it out. Though it might interest you to know that Hollows are poisonous to Quincies. That is an advantage you should exploit."

"Do you think we should attack first or wait for them to come here?" Ichigo asked.

The man gave Ichigo a calm look, "You have an advantage here…I would wait for them to come. Once you've thinned out their forces, it will be a perfect time for a counterattack. You will need to be ready whenever you face them. You will need to be ready for Yhwach when the time comes."

"Hmm…is that all? Am I going to kill the Soul King for you too?" Ichigo asked sarcastically.

The brown haired captain looked down for a moment before meeting Ichigo's gaze, "Only if I fail…"

"By the way…I've been thinking about something ever since our little fight in the Menos Forest. You never did tell me about your real bankai…" Ichigo stated seriously.

The former captain tilted his head, "No…I did not."

"If your shikai, can hypnotize people, then why couldn't you wipe out the Soul Society by yourself? I mean if you caught Yamamoto by surprise with it, what could he honestly do?" Ichigo wondered.

Sosuke shook his head, "You underestimate everyone around you, Ichigo. That is one of your greatest weaknesses. It will be your undoing if you're not careful. That is why I am keeping you on a need to know basis. Though if you must know, I doubt my shikai could match Genryusai Yamamoto…he is the most powerful Shinigami to ever live."

"So what about your bankai?" Ichigo persisted, "I know you're more powerful than you let on, Aizen. There must be a reason you didn't do this by yourself."

Aizen sighed, "I will tell you when the time comes…"

"When we both touched the Hogyoku…I felt your power. You're not a normal Shinigami are you?" Ichigo asked.

The man shook his head, "No, I am not…and you are not a normal hollow. As strange as it sounds, we're not so different you and I. Despite your lack of subtlety or patience, I actually respect you…"

"Well…you delivered on your promise about creating arrancars, so I suppose we're on decent terms for now. Still…part of me wonders what you would have done had I not been able to break your illusion," Ichigo began.

"I would have secured your allegiance…one way or another," Aizen replied honestly.

"Hmph…well you have it, so long as you mind yourself," Ichigo nodded his head.

"Very well…I enjoyed our talk Ichigo. Get some rest…tomorrow we will transform the rest of the hollows in Las Noches," the man said as he took his leave.

After he was gone, Ichigo looked up into the eternal night sky, "Tomorrow huh? Whenever the hell that is…"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yeah that's right…I updated! Within a week no less! It was exhausting, but after writing about all the stuff last chapter, I hyped myself into staying up late a few nights and finishing this one. So…yay. I don't know if you guys have ever felt handcuffed to a computer before, but I certainly did.

Anyways, let's recap on what happened. We got a brief look into what the Visoreds are up to. With a lack of manpower, the Soul Society will feel obligated to accept their help. How will our hollow characters react to them? Moving on…the majority of this chapter was about the Wandenreich. We got a brief taste of what things are like in their hidden shadow realm. Poor Yuzu doesn't know what to do, with all these big bad Sternritters freaking out over her. How will Yhwach address the news of Ichigo? How will Uryu react?

So I don't know if it's obvious, but I had a fun time writing the various dialogue between the Sternritters. We'll definitely see some more of the unmentioned ones in future chapters. Some of Quincies were as close as I could get to canon, but I took my fair share of artistic liberties.

Now we've finally arrived at the grand transformation of our favorite hollows into Arrancars! Okay so I wanted to address this now, since people won't shut up about it…Segunda Etapa is on the horizon…I had every intention to give it to the hollow leaders. Just be patient…Ichigo will also get some Quincy and Shinigami abilities as well.

Also, a lot of people want to know who's going to be in the harem. Well obviously, the hollow girls will be. There may be some unexpected additions later on, but I'll keep them a secret for now. If you have your heart set on someone in particular feel free to mention it, in either a review or a PM.

Also, just to wet your appetite, I'll give you next chapter's title…The Espada.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: The Espada**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After his conversation with Aizen, Ichigo sat atop the tower overlooking the desolate Hueco Mundo. His mind raced at the possibilities of what the future held. He couldn't help but feel anxious about some of the things Aizen mentioned.

'_His bankai…it must be something inconceivable_,' Ichigo thought as he briefly wondered about the power Sosuke Aizen actually had.

He shook his head in contemplation, '_His Reiatsu was unlike any I've felt before. Was that his or just the Hogyoku? He obviously wanted that orb to empower himself, but why? I have no doubt that he could prove more than a match for any of the hollows in Hueco Mundo or the other Shinigami. Could the Soul King or this Yhwach really be as powerful as Aizen claims? It makes sense why he would want my help…even the Captain Commander is a foe neither one of us could easily defeat. If that was only the old man's shikai then I will need some kind of power boost that could match his bankai_.'

Distracted by his thoughts, Ichigo barely noticed Grimmjow land next to him. The blue haired arrancar sat down next to Ichigo and didn't say anything. After a brief silence, Ichigo acknowledged his presence, "Grimmjow, you need something?"

"White, I know you think you're doing what's best, but I don't like those Shinigami snooping around here. What's to stop them from spying on us or betraying us later?" Grimmjow asked with an unhappy expression.

Ichigo glanced over and shrugged, "You're right to be cautious, Grimmjow…their betrayal of the Soul Society certainly is abnormal. Though, judging by the reactions of the other captains, I doubt they're double agents. Not to mention, Aizen delivered his promise…we're all arrancars now. He and I have had a few talks, and it's become clear to me that we need his help just as much as he needs ours."

"We don't need their help! With all of us united, we're strong enough on our own! You brought our kind together so that we could stand against them! They don't belong here! Just what exactly do these Shinigami Captains even want? Why would they betray their own? Aren't Shinigami all concerned about honor and all that other bullshit?!" Grimmjow protested.

"Listen, Grimmjow…Sosuke Aizen is invaluable to our cause. He understands our enemy more than we do. He seeks the destruction of the Quincies and the death of the Soul King. His reasons for being here, while vague, are at least understandable. The other two captains, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tousen, are the ones I don't fully trust," Ichigo explained.

Grimmjow seemed to calm down slightly as a curious expression graced his features, "He wants to kill the Soul King? Hmm…and he wants our help to kill him? Who the hell is the Soul King anyways?"

"The Shinigami's god I think…though I don't really understand either. The point is, I understand why Aizen is here…the other two however have rather weak reasons for being here. If I was you, I would watch them more closely than Aizen," Ichigo replied coolly.

"Yeah, I see what you mean there. The silver haired Shinigami likes eavesdropping from what I've seen. I don't' like that bastard…but the blind one acts like he's better than us. He even had the nerve to talk down to me…" Grimmjow said angrily.

"That sneaky guy…Gin Ichimaru…don't let your guard down around him, ever. As for Kaname Tousen…I wouldn't expect much deception from a man like him, but I wouldn't expect loyalty either. I will speak with both of them and draw a clear line. So it would be best if you kept your anger in check and let me handle it," Ichigo said authoritatively.

"Fine, I'll shut up about it. Just so long as you're not letting them try any funny business then I'll tolerate them for now. By the way…Barragan wanted you to come see him. He asked me to pass it along in case I ran into you," Grimmjow sighed.

"I imagine everyone's still adjusting to becoming arrancars…" Ichigo noted.

"If I was you, I'd probably make my rounds and check how everyone's doing. A lot of the former adjuchas are acting stupid," Grimmjow said with an annoyed face as he wrapped his arms around a raised knee.

"I suppose I should do that…I'll go see Barragan first. By the way, how are your followers adjusting to their new bodies?" Ichigo questioned casually.

Grimmjow seemed uncertain about the topic, "I don't see why you'd care…but they're doing fine. I talked to them a bit…they seem to like being arrancars."

"We're all kin now…the more we all know and trust each other, the better. With that in mind, what are their names?" Ichigo asked.

Grimmjow shrugged, "Shaw Long, Di Roy, Yylfordt, Nakeem, and Edrad. Shaw Long is the tall one, Di Roy has the bulky mask helmet, Yylfordt is the blonde one, Nakeem has the half mask, and Edrad is the buff one."

"Will they be ready for fighting Shinigami?" the hollow king asked as he gave Grimmjow a curious stare.

The blue haired arrancar nodded, "Yeah, I'll make sure they're whipped into shape if that's what you're asking. I talked to Harribel a bit while you guys were away. She mentioned you go through a lot of trouble to train your followers. Initially I thought that was just patronizing…but it makes more sense now. You like having dependable companions."

Ichigo nodded, "I helped train her followers. Not as much as my three, but I might find time to do more with them. I could help your guys out too if you'd like."

"Nah…I'll take care of them. It's my job, not yours," Grimmjow insisted.

"Fair enough…so how are you adjusting to being an arrancar, Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked curiously.

The other arrancar stared out into the distance, "It's interesting…but yeah, I'll catch up with you later, White."

Grimmjow stood up and started walking away. He didn't make it very far before Ichigo responded to him, "See you later, Grimmjow…I'm going to go check on Barragan."

Grimmjow simply waved, "Yeah, take care, White."

"You can call me Ichigo if you want. That's my real name," the orange haired hollow stated causing Grimmjow to raise a brow.

"Ha…I know you as, White, so that's what I'm gonna call you. We're not exactly chummy or anything…besides if I start calling you that, people might think I'm in your little posse." Grimmjow laughed.

"Suit yourself…" Ichigo laughed as well. He left shortly afterward.

After he departed, Grimmjow held his head dejectedly, '_For someone who's proven himself stronger than me, he's awfully friendly. I mean, I know we're working together and all, but why does he treat me like I'm his equal most of the time? Weird…_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Inside Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After a short exploration of Las Noches, Ichigo finally locked onto Barragan's spiritual signature and found the former king in one of the several throne rooms. Barragan was sitting on it examining his axe with curiosity. It was evident to Ichigo that its new sealed shape interested him.

Upon entering the room, Barragan's followers all greeted him promptly. "High King White, is there something you needed?" Ggio asked immediately.

Ichigo walked inside, and caught Barragan's stern gaze before glancing back at Ggio, "I wanted to speak with Barragan. By the way, how are all of you adjusting?"

Ggio bowed his head respectfully, "As you wish High King White…we are doing well I suppose."

"I feel like this new body perfectly represents my beauty!" a buff, but strangely effeminate arrancar announced cheerily as he glided across the room and bowed to Ichigo.

"I feel much stronger than before!" a buff arrancar with red tribal paint covering his body announced happily.

"I never did learn your names…care to introduce yourselves?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"The name's Charlotte Cuuhlhourne!" the effeminate arrancar winked.

"Abirama Redder…royal bodyguard of King Barragan," the red marked arrancar stated.

Walking over from Barragan's throne the other four followers joined the conversation. The slim long haired blonde one spoke next, "Findorr Calius, royal bodyguard; It is a pleasure to formerly introduce myself to you."

The really big one with green face markings and a jaw mask fragment nodded, "I'm Choe Neng Poww, King Barragan's enforcer…everyone just calls me Poww."

"I'm Nirgge, royal bodyguard of the king," one of the others said. His mask fragment was shaped like a tusked helmet of some sort. The final arrival was a tall, muscular grey haired man with a jaw mask fragment. His hair was in some kind of spiky ponytail and he had a noticeable scar covering his face much to Ichigo's curiosity.

"I'm Tiburon Martillo…King Barragan's enforcer," the final arrival stated.

Ichigo examined his scar and looked at him curiously, "Got a few scars along the way I see…"

The arrancar nodded somewhat bitterly, "Yes…Tia Harribel inflicted the one on my face."

"It's your own fault for challenging a Vasto Lorde's power," Ggio shook his head amused.

The arrancar grimaced angrily, "Shut up, Ggio!"

"I hope you can put that kind of grudge behind you…" Ichigo threatened Martillo. The sheer lethality in his voice caused the grey haired arrancar to immediately bow in subservience, "O-of course, High King…I will not make an issue of it. I am no match for the likes of you or Harribel."

"Good…" Ichigo nodded before turning his eyes back on Ggio. The former saber tooth introduced himself last, "Ggio Vega…Emissary, Advisor, and Royal Guard of King Barragan."

"Well it's nice to officially meet all of you. As you may or may not know, my actual name is Ichigo Kurosaki. Though you're free to call me whatever you'd prefer." Ichigo nodded as he made his way past the group to Barragan himself. The former king was surprisingly quiet as he watched the scene with a strange curiosity.

Right as Ichigo reached him, the arrancar grunted in acknowledgement, "It is good you came immediately…I wanted to speak with you. We never really got the chance after that Shinigami appeared."

Barragan's followers all watched the two powerful hollows with an evident anticipation, but were let down as the old man waved his hand, "Go find yourselves living arrangements…White and I will speak in private."

"Yes your majesty," they all said in unison. It was surprisingly in sync which led Ichigo to assume that they were used to doing it.

After the lesser hollows all left, Ichigo stared at Barragan waiting for him to speak. The older man sighed heavily, "We have much to discuss, White…"

"Let me guess…you don't approve of the Shinigami here? Well they're not going away, anytime soon. We'll need them, like it or not," Ichigo explained.

Barragan seemed annoyed by Ichigo jumping to conclusions and grunted in disapproval, "NO, that is not what I wanted to speak to you about. I have already come to terms with our predicament. The only reason I have accepted it is because you hold the leash on those Shinigami…it better stay that way. Now back to the reason why I called you here…it concerns this palace."

"Las Noches…come to think of it, I don't know anything about this place," Ichigo noted.

The former king nodded, "Yes…but as the new ruler, you should be aware of its origins and secrets. You have proven your superior might…as hollows, that gives you the right to rule over me. As such, I will entrust you with the knowledge of Hueco Mundo's history."

"Alright…then how about you start by telling me how this place was built," Ichigo nodded.

"The former rulers of Las Noches before myself were Arrancars. They ruled here long before I took residence in Las Noches," Barragan began.

Ichigo's eyes widened with disbelief, "I thought you've always ruled here…how far back does this go?"

"Thousands of years…but as the story goes, Las Noches was built by the First King of Hueco Mundo. In those days, hollows were far more numerous than they are today. Vasto Lordes ruled every corner of this desert…and the mightiest of their kind was the King himself. He was a hollow unlike any other. None know of how it happened, but he became the very first Arrancar. It gave him even greater power than the Vasto Lordes that rivaled him…and one by one he subdued them all until he finally conquered all of Hueco Mundo. The King sought the same thing you do…to challenge the Shinigami who arrogantly slew us as they pleased," the older man continued.

Ichigo was fascinated by the story, "So the original King wanted the same thing?! What happened to him and the other hollows?!"

"Over the course of his rule, he shared the secrets of how to become an Arrancar with his underlings. One by one they transformed and grew in power until at last, all of them were like the King himself. Uniting the nine strongest hollows under his command, they created an elite faction of ten called The Espada. They were all Vasto Lordes who became arrancars. With them and the legions they commanded under his heel, the First King created this mighty palace…Luna Palacio De Las Noches Eternas. Moon Palace Of The Everlasting Nights. To the common hollows, it is simply known as Las Noches. The King built this place as a sanctuary for his army…it stands as a monument to his might and influence over Hueco Mundo," Barragan said almost admirably.

"I imagine so...this palace is enormous. His army must have been colossal. Though these Espada sound pretty formidable. Why aren't they still around?" Ichigo said interested.

"I won't pretend to know the why or the how, but the King was later slain by a powerful band of Shinigami that would eventually become their Gotei 13," Barragan said angrily.

Ichigo shared Barragan's resentment as he gritted his teeth, "How did they manage to defeat the First King if he was so powerful?"

"I don't know…but I do know that a title that was given to the King's slayer. They called this Shinigami The Kenpachi," Barragan replied.

"Kenpachi?" Ichigo's eyes widened as he remembered a brief flash of the eye patch captain he fought as a Gillian and later a Vasto Lorde. He vaguely recalled that Shinigami being referred to as Kenpachi.

"I learned from the former King that it is a title given to the greatest swordsman of the Shinigami. Though I don't know if the Shinigami that slew the First King still lives. It was thousands of years ago," Barragan elaborated further.

Ichigo frowned, "Was this warrior Yamamoto? He's the strongest and oldest Shinigami I've ever seen."

"That is the only Shinigami I know by name…and no. I know that he is not The First Kenpachi. According to the information I've gathered over the centuries, there has in fact been several Shinigami with that title," Barragan clarified.

"If there has been more than one Kenpachi then it's probably safe to assume this warrior is long dead," Ichigo concluded.

Barragan glared angrily, "You are likely correct…but it is indeed a shame. I would take great pleasure in avenging the First King."

"So what happened to the Espada after The Kenpachi killed the First King? You mentioned the former king told you all of this?" Ichigo asked.

"After his death, the survivors retreated and fought over the vacuum of power left behind. Their infighting ripped Hueco Mundo asunder and caused more destruction than our own hated enemies could ever hope to. Without a strong leader to maintain order, the Espada clashed in a civil war. The aftermath left them weakened…and eventually the Shinigami managed to purge the rest of the Espada in the years that followed. They succeeded in killing off all of them…except one. The only survivor was the Segunda Espada. Though powerful, he paled in comparison to the First King…the Cero Espada. He assumed the title of King by default according to his account," Barragan said distantly.

Ichigo cocked his head confused, "So then, you already knew what arrancars were before I brought Starrk and Lilynette with me? Interesting…so how did you and this surviving Espada meet?"

"The first time I met him, was after a victory against one of my rivals. He sensed our battle and came to watch. After I slew my rival, he tried to recruit me, but failed. I had no interest in being subservient to anyone. He respected that about me, and offered me the right to challenge him for the throne. Agreeing to his offer, I took my army to seize Las Noches for myself. I succeeded obviously…but lost my entire army in the process. That is how I came to be the King," Barragan answered.

"He killed your entire army?" Ichigo asked somewhat surprised.

Barragan nodded, "They died in the crossfire between us…those that didn't, fled. The former king is the only foe I've ever faced besides you that gave me a true challenge."

"Did you kill him after winning? When exactly did he tell you all of this stuff?" Ichigo wondered.

Barragan shook his head, "Not exactly. After our long battle, I defeated him, and he surrendered. I was going to finish him off, until he started talking about my potential as an arrancar. The former king recognized my superior power and claimed I was worthy to succeed him as King. After doing so, he thanked me for freeing him."

"Freeing him? How did you free him?" Ichigo wondered not fully understanding the idea.

"He said he would only abandon his post in Las Noches if a stronger hollow were to take his place. Apparently I was the greatest Vasto Lorde he had seen since the days of the First King. That was also when he explained the origins of Las Noches and the Espada to me. After he told me the about the schism of Hueco Mundo and the death of the First King, the former king stated that he wanted get revenge against the Shinigami. He claimed that Las Noches' protection was the only thing keeping him from doing so. Before he left he asked me to gather the strongest hollows and recreate the Espada should he fail. Afterward, he left through a Garganta and I never saw him again." Barragan said with deep reconciliation.

"What was his name…the former king I mean?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"His name was Arturo Plateado. He was rather arrogant as you could imagine…but he commanded great power. If a hollow like him was only third ranked amongst the Espada, then they must have been supremely powerful as a whole," Barragan replied.

"So Arturo went to avenge the rest of the Espada, and he left you in charge of Las Noches since you were more powerful than he was? Is that what led you to try and conquer Hueco Mundo?" Ichigo confirmed.

Barragan nodded, "Precisely…though, I failed in my attempts to do so. I tried to conquer Hueco Mundo, and force weaker hollows into my army. Adjuchas were easy to recruit, but many of the Vasto Lordes I slew were those that refused to serve me. I was angered that despite my superior might, the lesser Vasto Lordes would not yield to my authority. They would rather die pointlessly or flee to the far corners of Hueco Mundo. I eventually gave up on trying to rekindle the First King's legacy."

"So then you simply saw me as another power hungry Vasto Lorde?" Ichigo began to realize as he felt more empathy for Barragan than he ever expected to.

"Yes, when I first saw you, I knew that you would eventually become a Vasto Lorde. Your power was already great as an Adjucha. I hoped to recruit you into my army before then, so that you would not end up like the other Vasto Lordes who challenged me. I failed in that regard, and you escaped. I knew that day that you and I would eventually face each other again. Though to my surprise, you were able to unite Vasto Lordes against me…succeeding where I failed. Then you took my throne. I hated you for that…" Barragan admitted.

Ichigo stared at him shocked by the man's truthful statement. He said nothing and simply let Barragan continue.

"However, after seeing the way you gathered all of these powerful hollows under one banner, I began to understand what it truly meant to be the King of the Hollows. They all respect you…even my own followers. Even I do despite all that's happened. The moment you spared my life, I began to realize what you had that I lacked. You have charisma, empathy, and above all your reign stands for something greater than yourself. I often wonder what the First King, Zangetsu, would have been like to unite all hollows under his rule. Now I realize…he was like you. It is for that reason that I will continue to follow you," Barragan finally finished his explanation.

Ichigo was speechless from Barragan's story and simply stared dumbfounded. After a long awkward silence, Ichigo finally shook his head disbelievingly.

"D-did you just say that the first king's name was ZANGETSU?!" Ichigo gasped in pure disbelief.

Barragan nodded, "Yes…that was his name according to Arturo."

Without warning, Ichigo drew his sword and held it up for Barragan to see, "This is my Zanpakuto…and its name is Zangetsu."

The old arrancar jaw dropped at Ichigo's remark, "Absurd! How is that possible?"

"I don't know…" Ichigo said shaking his head.

Barragan's non scarred eye widened considerably. He seemed truly speechless, probably for the first time in his life. Ichigo slowly sheathed his blade and nodded his head respectfully, "Thanks for telling me all of this, Barragan…it really puts things in perspective. Now I have even more of a reason to defeat the Shinigami."

"I need time, to reflect on this…if you would excuse me," Barragan stated as he stood up and began to leave.

"I should probably get going anyways. Might I suggest you help train your followers if you get bored," Ichigo requested before heading in the opposite direction.

Barragan stopped in his tracks and contemplated deeply on the meaning of the revelation, '_What could that possibly mean? How could his Zanpakuto be named after the First King? Aren't they an extension of one's soul? Could it be possible he is the First King incarnate?! This is unprecedented._'

Before Ichigo could leave the room, Barragan called out to him, "High King White…this conversation should stay between you and me."

Ichigo turned back briefly and nodded, "It will…thanks again for telling me."

As Ichigo took his leave, the orange haired arrancar shook his head, '_Zangetsu? The first King of the Hollows was named Zangetsu…what does that make me? The blade is a part of me…but am I truly like the original King of the Hollows? I wonder what the Shinigami thought when I told them I was the King…the captain commander seemed enraged when I mentioned it. Though I obviously don't look like the First King or they would have recognized me right? Damn...if this First Kenpachi killed the original hollow king, then what kind of shape am I in to take them on again? I am clearly not powerful enough. I must become stronger!_'

Several minutes passed in reflective silence as Ichigo wandered down the massive hallways of Las Noches aimlessly lost in thought. Too distracted by his concerns, Ichigo didn't realize where he was going until he knocked someone over by accident.

"Hey! Watch it you…Oh King White, sorry for yelling at you," the individual said apologetically. Ichigo took a closer look and noticed it was a pink haired man with glasses. He smiled at Ichigo as if thrilled to see him, "It's an honor to be knocked down by you…I didn't even sense you walking down the hall. Trying to ambush me huh?"

Ichigo tried to recognize the man as he cocked his head curiously, "I'm not quite sure I remember…but you were that butterfly adjucha right?"

"I'm Szayelaporro Granz, and may I say, thank you for including me in your army, King White. I promise to be extremely useful in our war against those wretched Quincies and abysmal Shinigami. If you need anything...just let me know," he bowed his head very gracefully.

"Well, aren't you eager?" Ichigo said amused.

The pink haired man grinned as he slicked his hair back, "Well, my older brother is one of Grimmjow's followers…but I on the other hand was rooting for you from the start. Your mastery of combat is quite a sight to see, though I find your intellect and charisma to be awe-inspiring. Oh look at me rambling like some kind of giddy fan."

"Thanks…I guess," Ichigo said as he rose a brow somewhat uncertainly. This man was clearly trying to get on his good side.

"So what can you do exactly? Are you good at fighting?" Ichigo asked.

Szayel laughed maniacally, "Oh but of course I am! Though my true passion is science and research…I would gladly analyze and dissect any Shinigami or Quincy specimens if we were to capture some…"

"Hmm…well since you seem to enjoy that kind of stuff, then sure. Your first assignment is to figure out what the deal with this blood on my clothes is," Ichigo pointed.

Szayel reached out and was about to touch it before Ichigo grabbed his wrist. The pink haired arrancar gave him a strange grin as he did so. The hollow king stared intently, "Be careful touching it. One of the Quincy women I encountered seemed to think it would affect me somehow if she covered me in her blood."

"Sounds…kinky," Szayel laughed, "well then, perhaps you could hand over that jacket and allow me to do some research. I believe I can set up a lab somewhere around here…"

Ichigo nodded as he removed his upper garments and carefully folded it to cover the bloodied parts. He handed it to Szayel, "Feel free to use whatever you need to figure out what we're dealing with. You have my permission to make a lab if you want. I would like an update as soon as possible."

"Of course, King White!" Szayel said excitedly as he took the folded jacked and examined it with anticipation. He glanced down at Ichigo's white hakama pants, "Is there any blood on the rest of your clothes as well? The more samples I have, the better it would-"

"I think you have more than enough," Ichigo dissuaded as he began to walk away. Szayel nodded in acceptance, "Very well…I will begin at once! Farewell, your majesty! I look forward to sharing my findings with you."

With that, the pink haired man left sprinting down the hallway like an excited child. Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm which helped to distract his mind from the shocking revelations from Barragan. He continued down the hallway making his way into a grand chamber.

Upon entering, he noticed many of the new arrancars were all gathered around discussing their opinions on recent events. The moment they spotted Ichigo, the entire room went silent.

"Ichigo, w-where's your shirt?!" Menoly exclaimed with a crimson face. Her reaction seemed to mark him with a bunch of heavy stares from the room's inhabitants. He looked at them curiously, '_Why's everyone staring at me like that?_'

Loly's eyes widened, "Aren't you going to say something?"

"What's up?" Ichigo waved nonchalantly as he made his way into the room. With each step closer, he made several of the girls back away shyly.

Harribel had an intense, silent reaction as she eyed him up and down. The calm arrancar tilted her head curiously, "Do we not have to wear tops around here?"

"Well the women don't," a tall lanky arrancar with black hair snickered. Everyone seemed to ignore his comment minus Harribel who gave him a stern glare.

"Oh sorry…I gave my jacket to Szayel, the pink haired guy, so he could examine the Quincy blood on it," Ichigo explained.

"Hmm…that seems convenient. You certainly do know how to make an entrance," a foxy laugh came from behind the group. Everyone turned their attention towards it and spotted Gin Ichimaru grinning.

Ichigo cocked his head at Gin curiously, "How are you liking Hueco Mundo, Gin?"

"It's quite nice…though Las Noches could certainly use some entertainment and decorations," the foxy captain chuckled.

"Maybe it does need some renovation. This place doesn't look like it's been lived in for centuries," Ichigo said in agreement.

"Hey, Ichigo, how does my new body look? You never told us all what you thought," Mila Rose asked seductively as she stuck a pose. Her revealing attire clearly showed quite a few curves.

Ichigo looked at her surprised, "Where did you get that outfit?"

The new arrancar woman had quite a revealing top as well as a short white skirt and matching boots. Her green eyes lit up with anticipation, "Looks good doesn't it?"

Apacci scoffed at it, "What's with that get up? Why would Ichigo like that?"

Sung-sun shook her head at the woman, "It looks ungraceful and shameless…so it's definitely a match for you, Mila Rose."

"What did you just say?! You still look like a snake to me, Sung-sun!" the former lioness sassed back.

Sung-sun covered her mouth and narrowed her eyes, "Yes…but snakes are quite exotic and beautiful as well as deadly."

"Your face is deadly…deadly ugly!" Mila Rose taunted.

"What a crude comment…you truly lack etiquette and subtlety Mila Rose," Sung-sun giggled.

"Well if you want my opinion, you both turned out great," Ichigo complemented, immediately ending their argument.

Harribel's eyes widened slightly, '_He thinks they look good? He mentioned liking my appearance, but he seems to like theirs as well. hmm…_'

Both women seemed shocked by his comment as if not expecting it. Sung-sun immediately covered her face and looked away. Mila Rose gawked at him with a slight gleam in her eyes, "You really think so?"

"What about us, Ichigo?!" Loly demanded as she pushed Mila Rose aside. Menoly followed her and both struck a pose back to back in front of their master. Ichigo laughed, "Impressive. You two certainly had the most unexpected transformations."

Loly's one visible eye widened as she nodded, "Damn right! Did you expect anything less?"

"Well I'm glad you all like being arrancars…but don't think that means your training has stopped. Just because you're all cute now, doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you," Ichigo stated.

His comment caused most of the girls to visibly react in some way. Harribel on the other hand cocked her head, "Cute? What's that?"

"Well, it means something looks innocent and pleasant, mistress," Sung-sun clarified. Her cheeks were covered by a sleeve for some reason much to Ichigo's curiosity.

The former Vasto Lorde stared at Ichigo for a moment, "That description obviously doesn't match me…"

"Well maybe not…but you've always been appealing, Harribel," Ichigo said approvingly.

Her eyes shot open as she was taken aback by his comment. Harribel quickly regained her composure and stared at Ichigo silently, '_Appealing? Does he like my appearance or not?_'

"He's right, mistress, you're a symbol of beauty and power in Hueco Mundo," Sung-sun added. Her comment seemed to alleviate Harribel's doubt, but now the blonde couldn't help but feel flushed by the remark.

'_Beauty? Does he think that about me? No, he never specified beauty specifically. I shouldn't jump to conclusions_,' she thought. The female arrancar couldn't quite explain why but the issue seemed to matter more to her than it should have.

"So who's the most beautiful arrancar, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Gin cut into the conversation with a foxy, mischievous grin.

That one comment immediately caused all of the surrounding women to stare at Ichigo intently. Several others in the room immediately made their way closer to watch the conversation. Ichigo rubbed the back of his head for a moment, "Well…"

"This ought to be good," Nnoitra cackled.

"Yeah who is the prettiest?!" Loly demanded almost threateningly.

Menoly's face was flustered as she looked away, "You girls shouldn't pressure Ichigo like that. The way we look isn't really that important…"

Apacci seemed less hostile about it than Loly, but stared with unrestrained curiosity, "What's your idea of pretty anyways, Ichigo?"

"Definitely not you…" Mila Rose shook her head, "you don't have the curves I do."

"Why does that matter?!" Apacci deadpanned with a furious look on her face, "Ichigo is MY master, not yours!"

"Technically he is everyone's master now…though I think Mila Rose is saying that you're flat, Apacci…" Sung-sun giggled.

"What?! No I'm not! She's just bulky and muscular!" Apacci pointed at Mila Rose.

The former lioness laughed at her, "Muscular?! Is that what you think these are?"

The tomboyish arrancar cracked her fists angrily, "Oh get over yourself, Mila Rose! I could still kick your ass in a fight!"

Harribel chose that perfect moment to step forward as she spoke up calmly, "What are you all fussing about anyways? What sort of contest is this?"

Many of the female adjuchas stared at Harribel's physique. It was clear that they felt intimidated as the woman crossed her arms, "Beauty isn't something we should be concerned with as hollows."

'_Easy for you to say, mistress…you're the one with the perfect body_,' Mila Rose thought. Many of the other women clearly had the same train of thought.

"Anyways…" Ichigo said slowly to break the awkward silence.

Before Ichigo could move past the awkward topic, an arrogant arrancar rekindled it, "What are all of you women bickering over anyways? It's pretty annoying if you ask me."

Everyone turned their attention to an effeminate arrancar with short black hair. He had a hand on his hips and a condescending look directed at the group of female arrancars.

"What did you just say?! I'll kill you bastard!" Loly growled. Before she or any of the women could pounce on the man, Ichigo spoke.

"Who are you again?" Ichigo asked. His remark slightly shattered the other hollow's pride, but it didn't take long for him to recover.

The effeminate hollow smiled proudly, "Luppi Antenor. By the way…why do they all call you Ichigo?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki is my real name. White is just what other hollows have always called me," Ichigo answered.

Luppi nodded, "I see…how interesting. Do you mind if I call you by that?"

"Go ahead, Luppi," Ichigo nodded.

The other arrancar beamed proudly, "I hope to prove my elite status to you in the days to come."

"What's with this guy kissing ass all of a sudden? You think you're better than us?" Menoly crossed her arms.

"You don't look that tough to me…you're going to regret butting in, asshole! There aint nothing elite about you!" Loly said rudely to Luppi.

The short black haired arrancar glared at them, "Appearances can be deceiving…I'm probably more than a match for all of you and clearly more attractive. Like High King White and Harribel here...I'm both beautiful and powerful."

'_Well at least he has the common sense not to talk down to Harribel.._.' Ichigo thought slightly amused by the effeminate arrancar's antics.

Starrk who, had been lying on a couch nearby looked over lazily, "What's with all that noise over there? I'm trying to sleep here…"

"Then get a room, Starrk!" Lilynette badgered him annoyed. Though she seemed far more interested in the conversation than her male counterpart. She wasn't fully used to seeing this kind of social interaction and was watching it intently.

Harribel glanced over at Ichigo gauging his reaction, '_White seems to have a lot of patience for other hollows. I'm surprised he didn't kill Luppi outright for talking down to them…how curious. I guess he doesn't feel the need to boast or consolidate authority given all that he's achieved._'

"Get real, dude…you're nothing like Ichigo or Harribel!" Menoly retorted annoyed.

Apacci gritted her teeth, "How dare you compare yourself to Ichigo!"

"Relax, girls…I'm sure he meant it as a joke," Ichigo said hoping to ease their angered moods.

"Yeah right! He's acting like he's better than us!" Loly said angrily.

"Speaking of appearances," Gin's voice sounded again, "I couldn't help but notice the strange way many of you dress."

Menoly cocked her head at him uncertainly, "What do you mean, shinigami?"

"Yeah what's wrong about the way we dress?" Apacci half-demanded.

"Well Hueco Mundo is an interesting place…where the guys dress like girls and the girls dress like guys," Gin chuckled.

His comment caused most of the room to examine their attire doubtfully. Many didn't exactly comprehend what he was saying.

"My attire perfectly suits me," Luppi boasted.

Gin Ichimaru nodded in response, "It certainly does…you are proud and beautiful, and those female clothes are perfect for you."

"These aren't female clothes...those are though!" Luppi pointed at Mila Rose and Sung-Sun annoyed.

"I don't dress like a guy! Right everyone?" Apacci protested as she directed a mean glare at Gin.

"Well now that he mentions it…you're definitely wearing the same kind of pants that Ichigo is," Sung-sun pointed.

"So!? You say that like it's a bad thing. I'd wear Ichigo's pants!" Apacci countered.

"Would you now? How shameless, Apacci…" Sung-sun teased.

Apacci's face went scarlet as she realized how her statement might have been heard. She shyly glanced back and briefly made eye contact with Ichigo before turning away blushing madly, "Umm…I didn't mean it like that, Ichigo."

"Backing off already…she's so skittish sometimes," Loly shook her head.

Loly crossed her arms at Gin and grinned smugly, "I already know I look good…right Ichigo?"

"Right," he nodded halfway amused by the various reactions from the arrancars in the room.

Menoly examined her attire and looked between Gin and Ichigo, "What I'm wearing looks good, right? I mean I guess it's not as revealing as Mila Rose or Loly's clothes. Is that good or bad?"

"Well Ichigo has been catching a few glances at you when you weren't looking," Gin smiled wickedly. The former scorpion adjucha immediately gawked at Ichigo, "R-really?! You have?!"

"Umm…what?" Ichigo questioned. He shook his head at Gin, '_Is this guy trying to stir drama up already? We really need to get off this topic before things become more awkward…_'

Sung-sun covered her mouth with a sleeve and eyed Gin doubtfully, "I didn't see anything like that…you certainly have an overactive imagination, Shinigami."

Gin shrugged, "I would imagine you didn't see it…you've been staring quite contentedly at Ichigo this whole time. There's no telling what your imagination was up to…"

The former snake uncharacteristically got angry, "I was doing no such thing, Shinigami!"

'_I wonder if he's really that observant or if he's just messing with her?_' Ichigo thought uncertainly.

"You never did pick who you liked the most, Ichigo," Gin redirected the conversation.

The orange haired hollow immediately sent a glare towards the foxy Shinigami, '_Damn bastard! How the hell am I going to get out of this now? Though I wonder…which one is the prettiest? I mean they all look attractive…but is that really important?_'

"I'm getting tired of hearing this shit! Obviously, King White has more important things to do, rather than hear all you annoying bitches talking about who looks the best! You should be more concerned with who's the strongest!" Nnoitra hissed.

"Screw you, Nnoitra!" Mila Rose growled.

"Who are you calling a bitch?" Luppi demanded.

The lanky arrancar cracked his neck and grinned evilly, "If you say one more word to me, I'll butcher you…"

"How do you like being an arrancar, Nnoitra?" Ichigo asked. The hollow king couldn't help but feel relieved by Nnoitra's distracting presence, '_Thank heaven that guy was here. Gin had me cornered there for a moment._'

The tall arrancar shrugged, "It's fine…but I'm ready to start killing. When do we get to do that?"

"After we finish making everyone arrancars, we're going to train the army and come up with a strategy to topple our enemies. Though we're not doing anything else tonight," Ichigo explained.

"Well if this bullshit is the only thing going on right now, then I'm out of here. By the way, King White, do you care where we live in this palace?" Nnoitra asked.

"No I don't mind, Nnoitra. You can sleep in whatever room's available. Maybe later we'll renovate Las Noches and get everyone a nice den," Ichigo replied.

"Alright…come find me whenever training starts," the tall arrancar stated as he took his leave. Ichigo nodded in response. After he was gone, Ichigo saw his opportunity to leave.

"Well anyways, I should really be on my way and-" Ichigo started but immediately felt something on his back. During this time, an energetic Lilynette chose to jump onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and quickly sat on his shoulders, "Ha! I ambushed you, Ichigo!"

"Good job," Ichigo chuckled.

'_Guess I'm not going anywhere…_' Ichigo sighed internally.

Starrk who was still lounging further away stood up and made his way over. He cocked his head at Lilynette curiously, "What are you doing to Ichigo's hair?"

The young blonde was playing with Ichigo's hair now with an amused look on her face, "Your hair is so colorful, Ichigo!"

"Gah…she's acting like a dumb kid," Loly huffed in annoyance.

"You should let me braid your hair!" Lilynette suggested excitedly as she ignored the obviously angry glares from several nearby arrancars.

Enraged by Lilynette's actions, Apacci growled, "Get off of him!" Ichigo watched surprised as Apacci charged over and kicked Lilynette off his shoulders. The hot-headed arrancar girl glared at Apacci angrily as she leaped to her feet, "Hey what's the big idea, Apacci?!"

"Don't mess with him like that!" she commanded.

"Why not? It didn't seem to be bothering him," Lilynette said confused.

Starrk simply shook his head and sighed, "Sorry if she's bothering you, Ichigo…"

"It's okay, Starrk. Lilynette is just excited right now. I understand completely," Ichigo said reassuringly.

The blonde girl beamed happily at his statement before turning to the crowd, "Ichigo lets me do it, because he likes me!"

"What's that supposed to mean?! Are you saying he doesn't like us?" Apacci growled.

Starrk face palmed at Lilynette's comment, '_She didn't mean it like that…but that's how it sounded. Oh jeez…Lilynette, you're a handful sometimes_.'

"What's your problem?" Lilynette asked bluntly causing several of the other girls to glare at her as well. Seeing as this was the perfect time to intervene, Starrk pulled the blonde girl away, "C'mon, Lilynette…let's go find a place to crash. I'll catch up with you later, Ichigo."

The man gave a curt nod to Ichigo before dragging away Lilynette. After they were gone, Mila Rose started laughing at Apacci's flustered face, "Haha, what're you so worked up for?"

"Well, if you ask me…it would seem that she was seething with jealousy," Sung-sun cut in with an amused tone. She had her mouth covered by her coat sleeve and a pair of condescending eyes focused on Apacci.

The tomboyish arrancar's eyes widened horrified as she glanced back at Sung-sun flustered, "You want a piece of me too?!"

"Well I should really be on my way as well…" Ichigo said as he made his way for an exit.

"Ichigo!" Nel's voice sounded from across the room. Everyone looked up briefly as she ran over and embraced him in a tight hug. He looked at her surprised by the action, "What are you doing, Nel?"

"Hugging you of course!" She stated as she squeezed him harder.

"Hey what's the big idea?! He obviously doesn't want you grabbing him like that!" Loly piped up annoyed as she peeled Nel off of Ichigo.

"Oh, sorry," Nel said as she let go of the orange haired king. She smiled at him happily, "This is amazing…there's so many arrancars now and we are all living in Las Noches together!"

Apacci, Loly, and Menoly all had a slight dislike for Nel after her past battle with Ichigo. They all defensively tried to get between him and Nel.

Loly hissed at the turquoise haired arrancar, "Don't think we've forgotten what you did to him!"

"Yeah, how's about you back away from him. The fact that Ichigo became an arrancar has nothing to do with you," Menoly added.

Neliel backed away feeling slightly offended by their hostility. She frowned as she remembered the past excursion with Ichigo and how she almost got the adjuchas killed.

The woman nodded apologetically, "I am truly sorry for what happened then. Believe me, I would take it back if I could."

"What did happen?" Harribel interjected as she walked over.

"It doesn't matter, you girls should give Nel a chance. That whole mess is in the past," Ichigo spoke seriously for the first time since entering the room, "I've already forgiven her, and she's more than welcome to come near me if she chooses."

"B-but, Ichigo!" Apacci shook her head, "she's-"

"She's one of us now…" Ichigo concluded. Nel stared at him genuinely touched by his defense. The turquoise haired arrancar smiled weakly, "I promise to make it up to you, Ichigo…"

"Don't worry about it, Neliel…I'm glad you're with us." Ichigo said with a comforting voice.

Unable to resist the surging emotions spurred by his remark, Nel charged past Ichigo's former adjuchas and embraced him in another hug. This time she rested her head against his bare chest. Her face seemed different than it was before, and Ichigo had a hard time understanding what she was feeling.

After a moment of standing there, Ichigo hugged her back and smiled, "It's okay, Nel…you should get some rest. We all should."

She broke the hug and looked up at him with a distant face, "Goodnight Ichigo…"

Afterward, the woman departed, leaving five former adjuchas and Harribel all staring at Ichigo with various expressions.

Ichigo looked over their faces curiously, "What's wrong, girls?"

"N-nothing…" Apacci said sourly as she looked away.

Harribel's face was one of curiosity more than anything. She gave Ichigo an uncertain look, "She's the one who healed you a long time ago, right? I didn't realize you two had a bond like that."

Gin walked over towards the group again and nodded, "Well she's certainly in the lead for Ichigo's favor…"

Many of the female arrancars glared at Ichigo incredulously as if believing the statement immediately. The hollow king looked over at Gin, '_What have you done?! Damn you Gin!_'

Deciding he had no choice but to flee the room, Ichigo laughed awkwardly, "Well I should really go see how Wonderweiss is doing…later girls."

Without even hesitating, he left via sonido before any of them could say anything. After he was gone, Harribel eyed Gin suspiciously, "Are you implying that he prefers her company over ours?"

"Bullshit!" Apacci growled, "we've been traveling with Ichigo for ages! I don't believe that! She's delusional if she thinks she's closer to Ichigo than we are!"

The foxy Shinigami gave a knowing grin as he exited the room, "Well I guess you'll never know for sure…but Ichigo certainly liked her enough to hug back."

As he made his way out the door, Gin smiled mischievously, '_I think I've discovered my new favorite pass time here…_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Las Noches, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After a swift escape from the awkwardness created by Gin Ichimaru, Ichigo let out a sigh of relief. If the previous conversations were anything to base him off, Ichigo knew that Gin was a crafty person. He never even got a chance to question the Shinigami.

"White is here," a voice sounded approvingly catching Ichigo's attention. He glanced over and noticed Kaname standing there next to Wonderweiss. Ichigo was surprised to see them, but figured he must have instinctively located them during his escape.

Kaname glanced up but said nothing as Wonderweiss walked over and greeted Ichigo, "How are you, King White?"

"How are you adjusting to being an arrancar, Wonderweiss? Is Las Noches to your liking?" Ichigo asked.

The blonde nodded happily, "I'm happy to be around others…I think Hooleer likes it here too."

Ichigo was surprised by the former Vasto Lorde referring to himself in first person. "I see your speech has improved. That's good," Ichigo said approvingly.

"I have been helping him to understand speech. He has taken a strange liking to me," Kaname spoke up for the first time.

Wonderweiss smiled at his statement, "Kaname is nice. He helps me understand."

"That's good to hear…I'm glad to see some of you are getting along," Ichigo replied.

Tousen nodded his head, "Those with pure intentions are typically drawn to one another. He and I are more alike than I expected."

"You mentioned justice before…against the Soul Society. I am curious about that. I still don't understand why you would betray them?" Ichigo said as he read Kaname's reaction.

The blind Shinigami appeared somewhat surprised by his question, "I suspect that question is out of suspicion…but out of respect for you I will answer it. The Soul Society is very corrupt…I don't know if you recall much of what you saw while you were there, but a great disparity exists between the Seireitei and the outer Rukongai districts. The Shinigami of the Gotei 13 work for the 'greater good' of the Soul Society, but they are an aristocratic, elitist organization."

"How so?" Ichigo replied.

Kaname faced him, "They like to spy on and control the masses…they insist on enforcing 'balance' to the world, but I often wondered if that was simply an excuse. They are nothing more than a ruthless organization of killers who rule the Soul Society under the guise of being protectors. The Gotei 13 cares nothing for morality…they care nothing for justice or for the people that die needlessly for their cause. They allow ruthless murderers like Kenpachi Zaraki and Mayuri Kurotsuchi to be captains…and worst of all was central 46. A pathetic, cowardly group of men who thought they had the right to dictate what is acceptable in this world. They belong in hell along with all of the Shinigami…I am happy to part ways with them."

"Kenpachi Zaraki?! The man with the eye patch right?!" Ichigo demanded.

Kaname's features tensed, "Yes…he is more of a monster than any hollow I have ever seen. He cares about nothing except fighting and killing. At least you fight for a reason…Wonderweiss says you believe in protecting your kind."

"Kenpachi...I will break that title and anyone who carries it…you haven't seen a real monster yet!" Ichigo spat full of hatred.

"Why did you become a Shinigami in the first place if you hated them?" Wonderweiss cut into the conversation confused. Ichigo glanced over at Kaname curiously as he wondered that very same question.

The blind man turned towards the blonde, "I was born blind…I have never seen light. Yet despite my lack of sight, I can see more than others. I knew from a young age that the Shinigami were corrupt. Yet countless people from the district I lived in, aspired to join their ranks. They were like moths drawn to a flame…I became a Shinigami because I had to. For a friend…"

"I don't understand." Wonderweiss said somewhat distraught.

"I seek to enforce justice because the Shinigami have never known it. They care next to nothing about the suffering of the outer districts…the one I was born in was a slum where the Shinigami rarely visited. Poverty and despair run rampant while Central 46 and the noble houses lavish in their thrones atop the world. The Shinigami are men and women with too much power squabbling over control while the rest of us suffer. I'm sorry Wonderweiss, but my reasons for being here are not simple enough to fully explain." Kaname concluded.

Ichigo frowned at the explanation as he remembered the large district he destroyed in the Soul Society outside of the Seireitei with his Getsuga Jujisho, '_Those people out there...they weren't Shinigami?_'

After a long, awkward silence, Ichigo finally nodded, "Good talking to you, Kaname…take care Wonderweiss."

Without another word, he left the duo as he went to find a room. After a short search, he came across one of the more prominent palace chambers with suitable enough living conditions. Ichigo didn't waste any time plopping down on the large bed as he finally dropped his guard for the first time in weeks.

His mind was racing in a hundred directions, but drowsiness soon overcame his senses as Ichigo slipped into a long-deserved slumber.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo's Dream XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo stood alone in a massive, field across from what appeared to be the Seireitei. It was noticeably absent walls or any recognizable buildings. Fire covered the horizon in all directions surrounding him.

He was in his release form…but for some reason, Ichigo only had one sword instead of his standard two. His fired a cero at the Seireitei with tremendous force releasing a blood curdling hollow howl along with it.

Before it could devastate his target, a massive wave of fire cut it in half sending his cero erupting either side into the distance. Moments later, the fire came barreling after him engulfing Ichigo in an inferno. Despite its raw heat and power, he managed to fight through it and charged closer towards the heart of the Soul Society.

After clearing the flames, he stopped dead in his tracks as a long line of Shinigami blocked his advance. In front of and behind them was a massive battlefield full of corpses. Dead arrancars littered the ground. He was the only hollow still alive that was present on the battlefield.

"There's the leader! That's Zangetsu!" one of the Shinigami said with an excited bloodlust.

"The Cero Espada?! That's the Hollow King?!" another one said in a mixture of excitement and fear.

"Kill it…hollows always run away if you kill their leader," Another Shinigami commanded. The group walked forward, led by the man with the fiery sword.

Ichigo's vision blacked out as they approached and he soon found himself falling down in darkness. He flailed around during the descent unable to stop it, and before long crashed into the ground.

The moment he hit the ground, he jerked upright waking from his dream. (Dream Over)

Ichigo sat there frozen in thought as he tried to rationalize the dream, '_What was that?_'

Before Ichigo could give it any serious thought, a concerned voice caught his attention, "Are you alright, Ichigo?"

His eyes shot open as he looked around for the voice's owner. It was then he noticed Ulquiorra sitting on the window balcony illuminated by the moonlight. The orange haired hollow stood up and stared at him curiously, "Ulquiorra? What are you doing in here? How long have I been sleeping?"

"Quite a while…several days according to the Shinigami. A lot has happened since then," Ulquiorra answered.

"Did you come to get me? What's going on?" Ichigo wondered.

Ulquiorra nodded, "Not exactly. I have been guarding you so that nobody would interrupt your sleep. I was probably going to wake you though since Aizen wants everyone to meet up. While you were asleep, Aizen already went ahead and transformed many of the other hollows. A lot of them have been lounging around the main throne room."

"Damn, I need to go check on things then." Ichigo said seriously. The haziness from his sleep was now starting to wear off.

The black haired arrancar shrugged, "I believe they're waiting on you."

"Alright…let's go," Ichigo said as he quickly put a fresh outfit on and made his way for the door.

As they exited, Ichigo looked at Ulquiorra curiously, "You stood guard while I slept? You don't have to do that, Ulquiorra…I shouldn't have slept that long."

"You must have needed it," his friend said.

"Let's hurry up," Ichigo changed the subject as he took off with a sonido.

Ulquiorra frowned slightly, '_He was flailing in his sleep…it must have been a nightmare_.'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Throne Room, Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As Ichigo and Ulquiorra made their way into the throne room of Las Noches, they were promptly greeted by the room's inhabitants.

"About time you showed up…we've been lying around doing nothing forever it seems!" Grimmjow sighed in annoyance.

"Ah, Ichigo, good to see you awake…I was going to come get you, but Ulquiorra did not approve of anyone disturbing you," Aizen stated.

Several of the others offered various remarks of approval or disapproval, but Ichigo ignored them as he made his way to the front where Aizen was standing. He stared at the man briefly, "Is there a reason you have everyone gathered in here?"

"Well, I took the liberty of transforming the remaining hollows while you were asleep. Your council didn't seem to mind since we were not permitted to wake you," Aizen explained.

"This had better not be a waste of our time…" Barragan complained.

"I assure you, Barragan, that it is not. The reformation of the Espada is something even you must want…" Aizen said coyly.

Everyone's eyes widened at the statement. Though many of the lesser arrancars didn't fully understand, Ichigo and Barragan in particular were shocked by Aizen's announcement.

Ichigo cocked his head confused, "You know about the Espada?"

Aizen nodded, "Yes…and now that all of Las Noches' hollows are arrancars, we can properly rank all of you."

"How dare you assume that such a right belongs to you!" Barragan hissed.

Ichigo held up his hand to silence Barragan, "We will reform the Espada then. How does the ranking work exactly?"

Answering his question, Aizen brought forth a large device, somewhat mechanical in nature. Hooked to it through some type of link was the Hogyoku, which rested on a pedestal. The large device was difficult to fully describe and was clearly not something Ichigo understood.

"This is a device used to measure your power. By syncing it with the Hogyoku, it will automatically assign a number based on a variety of criteria. Like the arrancars of the past you will be numerically ranked from weakest to strongest. Typically this device would only read your current strength, but with the Hogyoku's addition, I can factor in your future potential and hidden powers as well," Aizen went into detail.

The orange haired hollow glanced around the room full of arrancars. They were all beaming with excitement at the idea. Some appeared nervous about having to be ranked according to power.

Harribel crossed her arms curiously, "So then we're going to be ranked? For what purpose?"

"What are the Espada exactly?" Grimmjow cut in, "nobody bothered explaining that to the rest of us."

Before Ichigo could answer, Aizen did instead, "They will be the ten strongest arrancars. As the ranking system goes for your kind…the stronger hollows will have the smallest numbers."

"Alright fine…so what are we waiting for?" Nnoitra said eagerly, "I'm looking forward to see how far I rank above the rest of you."

"Fat chance, Nnoitra…you weren't even a Vasto Lorde. You'd be lucky to break the top ten," Luppi mocked him.

The lanky arrancar sent him a death glare, "I guarantee I'm stronger than the likes of you, bitch!"

"Neither one of you will live long enough to see it if you don't shut up!" Grimmjow immediately silenced the two.

Apacci looked at Aizen nervously, "So…what about the rest of us who don't become Espada? What will we be?"

"Numeros…hollows with two digit numbers," Barragan answered before Aizen could.

The brown haired captain glanced over and nodded, "Yes…I imagine Barragan is quite familiar with these terms. For those directly below the Espada…they will be the Numeros."

"Let's get on with it…" Ichigo said before an argument could break out again.

"Very well…all of you will place your hands on this device and it will read your power. After everyone has done so, it will call out your name and a number will form over the back of your hands," Aizen instructed.

"We don't need some stupid machine to tell us who's the strongest!" Grimmjow said disapprovingly.

"Just do it…" Ichigo said calmly. One by one, every arrancar in the room reluctantly lined up to place their hands on the device. It glowed every time a new person would touch it. After everyone in the massive chamber did so, Ichigo placed his hands on last.

A bright glow flashed around him before he pulled his hand away. Aizen nodded approvingly as he went over to touch the Hogyoku. It sent a volt of power into the machine and soon fired out a stream of energy at every single hollow in the room.

After the energy subsided, Aizen smiled, "It will now begin with the highest number."

There was close to a hundred arrancars in the room and the machine announced a number in the high nineties calling the name of a hollow Ichigo didn't know. It was obviously one of the newer ones Aizen transformed while he was sleeping. Ichigo listened curiously as the machine counted down, assigning numbers to each arrancar. Every time it called a number and name, the machine shot a stream of energy onto the back of said arrancar's hands. This continued for quite a while as it counted down lower and lower.

Ichigo didn't really pay much attention to who was being ranked until the machine started announcing the thirties. "36...Di Roy Rinker. 35...Nakeem Grindina. 34...Dondochakka Birstanne. 33...Pesche Guatiche. 32...Tesla Lindocruz. 31...Nirgge Parduoc. 30...Avirama Redder. 29...Charlotte Cuuhlhourne. 28...Cyan Sung-Sun. 27...Franceska Mila Rose. 26...Findorr Calius. 25...Edrad Liones. 24...Yylfordt Granz. 23...Choe Neng Poww. 22...Tiburon Martillo. 21...Ggio Vega. 20...Rudbornn Chelute. 19...Shaw Long Koufang. 18...Gantenbainne Mosqueda. 17...Loly Aivirrne. 16...Menoly Mallia. 15...Emilou Apacci. 14...Aaroniero Arruruerie 13...Cirucci Sanderwicci. 12...Szayelaporro Granz. 11...Dordonii Alessandro Del Socaccio 10...Luppi Antenor. The Numeros have been ranked."

Everyone seemed surprised by their ranks, and some slightly angered by it. Ggio glared at Shaw Long and Ichigo's followers, "How am I weaker than all of them? And who the hell is this Rudbornn?"

"You expect me to believe I am weaker than this clown?" Cirucci said disbelievingly as she pointed at Luppi.

Dordonii shared her reaction, "I don't believe this ranking system is accurate…"

"Don't act surprised…I wasn't joking when I said I was stronger than most of you," Luppi boasted. His arrogant tone seemed to annoy quite a few of the lower ranked arrancars. Luppi sighed heavily, "But unfortunately I barely fell short of making it into the Espada."

"It seems strange…" Gantenbainne said as he tried to make sense of his rank.

Mila Rose crossed her arms, "I ranked higher than I expected…but either way, I knew I'd be above Sung-Sun."

The former snake sent a venomous glare towards her friend "Perhaps in power…but not in beauty or intellect."

"Why you!" the lioness growled.

Grimmjow looked at many of his followers disappointed, "You all ranked lower than I thought you would…"

"Big brother…I couldn't help but notice your number doubles mine," Szayel smiled at his blonde brother.

Yylfordt rolled his eyes, "Get over yourself…it's not like you made it into the Espada."

Everyone's conversations were cut short as the machine spoke again, "The Espada will now be ranked. 9...Zommari Rureaux. 8...Nnoitra Gilga."

"What?! Why am I only eighth?!" the man shouted.

"You should feel honored…considering everyone's who's left used to be a Vasto Lorde," Harribel silenced him immediately.

The machine continued, "7...Wonderweiss Margela. 6...Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

"You've got to be kidding me?! There's no way the rest of them are stronger than me!" he protested.

"5...Neliel tu Odelschwank," the machine continued once again.

Nel's face lit up, "Wow I didn't expect such a low number." She examined the newly formed number on her hands with awe.

"There's no way in hell you're stronger than me!" Grimmjow shook his head in disbelief.

The turquoise haired woman shook her head, "Hey don't get mad at me…I'm not the one who picked these numbers."

"4...Ulquiorra Cifer," the machine interrupted.

The green eyed arrancar had no visible reaction as he stoically stared at the machine, '_It's obvious that Ichigo will be the strongest, but I wonder where the other three will rank?_'

"3...Tia Harribel."

The blonde nodded in acceptance, "That seems close enough to what I was expecting."

Grimmjow's eyes widened, '_I didn't expect two females to rank above me…Are they really stronger than I am?_'

"2...Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerbuck," the device announced.

"How the hell can two people have one rank?!" Nnoitra demanded angrily.

"They both used to be the same being," Ichigo answered. Many people in the room were surprised by the revelation of such a fact.

Starrk's eyes widened slightly in surprise, '_Hmm…I wasn't expecting anyone to be stronger than be besides Ichigo. If that's the case then the former king…_'

"1...Barragan Louisenbairn."

"There's no way he's stronger than us, right Starrk?" Lilynette said not fully accepting the rank.

The man shrugged, "I don't know…and I don't really care either."

"0...Ichigo Kurosaki. The Espada have been ranked," the machine concluded. After it finished, Ichigo looked at the mark on his hand, '_Cero Espada…King…just like him?_'

Grimmjow was feeling a bit unhappy at the results, that his two opponents for the throne were ranked way above him.

Nobody was surprised by Ichigo's rank, but Lilynette sent a sharp glare towards Aizen, "How exactly does this machine determine our power? Because Starrk and I used to kill weaker hollows just being around them. We're stronger than the old guy!"

"You may very well be in terms of raw power, but like I said…raw power does not factor all of your ranks. The Hogyoku can gauge your potential. The old system would simply rank those with the highest Reiatsu. The new one I've created is more accurate in determining battle-effectiveness," Aizen explained.

"So she's more 'battle-effective' than I am?!" Grimmjow asked looking at Nel doubtfully.

Ichigo nodded, "She's very strong Grimmjow…and she can heal too."

Upon hearing his comment about Nel, several of the room's female inhabitants sent glares her way. Apacci shook her head, '_Damn that chick! She thinks she's such hot stuff_…'

"Uh…well sorry, Grimmjow," Nel apologized sheepishly.

The blue haired man simply scoffed, "Hmph…I guess number six aint all that bad."

"I'll bet Starrk and I could still kick your ass old guy!" Lilynette threatened.

Starrk sighed at her outburst, "Please don't pick fights, Lilynette…"

"I was the King of Hueco Mundo for thousands of years…don't speak as if I am beneath you, girl," Barragan retorted to Lilynette.

She gritted her teeth angrily, but Starrk simply sighed, "It's not a big deal Lilynette…it just means less responsibility. Plus what's the difference between Segunda and Primera anyways? We all still answer to Ichigo…and the old guy likes to manage stuff too. I don't mind, personally."

"You lazy ass! That's probably why we're below him, because you're so passive!" she said annoyed.

"Many of you former Vasto Lordes were very close in terms of power and potential…according to the schematics. It would seem none of you came close to Ichigo however," Aizen stated as he glanced over the machine's results.

Szayel immediately ran over and started looking over them, "Let me look at this! I'll explain how things works to these simpletons. Ahem! As you can see everyone…there is a point system here that measures-"

"I don't give a shit about your statistics…can we just get on with this now?!" Nnoitra interrupted unhappily.

Ichigo walked over and looked at the numbers Szayel mentioned. There were several overlapping charts that measured different things about them. Next to each person's name was a number except for his. Ichigo stared at it curiously, '_Ichigo Kurosaki…error. Barragan Louisenbairn…540. Coyote Starrk…537. Tia Harribel…531. Ulquiorra Cifer…529. Neliel tu Odelschwank…521. Grimmjow Jaegerjaques…515. Wonderweiss Margela…510. Nnoitra Gilga…496_.'

Looking up from the data Ichigo glanced at Szayel curiously, "Why does it say error for my results?"

Aizen walked between the two of them as he looked down at it, "Likely because they were off the charts…there is a great disparity between you and the rest of the Espada. Though I'm sure that's obvious by this point."

Everyone in the room paled at that revelation. Ichigo himself seemed surprised, '_He said this device ranks our potential…how could mine be that much higher than the rest of them? Does it have something to do with my mixed blood? Or Zangetsu…but even he was killed. Is this really good enough? What do these numbers mean?_'

Lilynette ran over to look at the results surprised, "The old guy beat us by 3 points? That's bogus!"

"How should we organize our army now that everyone is ranked?" Harribel asked.

"Those of you in the Espada should have personal guards…a fraccion who may act on your behalf. Wouldn't you agree Ichigo?" Aizen asked.

Ichigo nodded as he looked over the crowd of gossiping arrancars before speaking, "That's a good idea. Each of the Espada will be allowed to choose a personal group of followers from the Numeros to be in their Fraccion. I choose Apacci, Loly, and Menoly…my original three followers."

The trio ran over to him excitedly from the announcement. They didn't get a chance to say much as Barragan spoke next, "I choose my royal guards and enforcers to be my Fraccion. Ggio, Tiburon, Nirgge, Poww, Avirama, Findorr, and Charlotte."

"You want some more while you're at it? Just take the whole army," Nnoitra shook his head laughing.

Starrk simply shrugged, "Uh… I pick Lilynette if she counts. If not then I'm good."

"Sung-sun and Mila Rose…" Harribel stated simply waving her followers over.

Ulquiorra shook his head, "I don't need a Fraccion…they would get in the way of my duties."

"Watching Ichigo sleep is a duty now?" Gin spoke for the first time with a sly grin. Several people sent Ulquiorra strange looks.

The dark haired man simply stared back stoically, "I do not have to explain myself to you…"

Nel thought for a moment, "I choose Cirucci, Gantenbainne, and Dordonii to be my Fraccion."

Grimmjow sighed, "Shaw Long, Edrad, Yylfordt, Nakeem, and Di Roy…might as well keep the gang together."

Wonderweiss looked around blankly for a moment, "I pick Luppi."

The effeminate arrancar gave Wonderweiss a surprised look, "Why would you choose me? I don't even know you…"

Wonderweiss said nothing in response which led to an awkward silence. Reluctantly, Luppi walked over to his side, "I suppose I don't have a choice do I?"

Nnoitra glanced through the crowd and rolled his one eye, "Umm…I guess that guy," he pointed at Tesla, "he can be my errand boy if he wants."

Tesla eagerly made his way over and bowed to Nnoitra, "It will be an honor to serve you, Nnoitra-sama."

"Spare me the pleasantries…" he said carelessly.

Zommari seemed calm as he looked over the crowd. After a moment he turned towards Aizen and Ichigo, "I do not need personal guards or followers. I am content with where I stand."

"Alright then…those of you remaining will simply fall under the command of the army. Only Espada can give orders…so don't go trying to boss each other around. Szayelaporro Granz will be our research division leader. Before we conclude this meeting, is there anyone else who has a special ability or trait that would be suited for a unique position?" Ichigo asked.

Stepping forward from the crowd, an arrancar with a full mask resembling longhorn skull spoke up, "Your majesty, my name is Rudbornn Chelute. I am capable of creating an army of clones. Observe…"

Ichigo watched interested as the skull headed arrancar created clones of himself. Unlike the original, they lacked horns however. Ichigo laughed at the sight, "That looks pretty useful."

Aizen nodded in agreement, "The addition of expendable rank and file troops would be invaluable."

"You get a special position as well, Rudbornn," Ichigo nodded approvingly, "If that is all…then get to training immediately."

"Yes your majesty!" many of the Numeros said. The other Espada didn't say anything, but they all began to disperse.

As everyone filed out, Ichigo looked at Aizen seriously, "Hey Sosuke…will you train with me?"

The brown haired man seemed surprised by his request but nodded approvingly, "Of course, Ichigo…but what kind of training are you referring to?"

"Just follow me…" Ichigo said.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alright kids, there's Chapter 13. A ton of stuff happened, and a lot of non-canon lore was introduced. Barragan gave us a bit of his back-story this chapter. We learned about how he became King…and how the original Espada created Las Noches. I kind of wanted to flesh that out a bit more since it is never fully explained in canon. I mean in canon it's never really clear if the Privaron Espada existed before Aizen arrived. I assume that they did, but due to Aizen's lack of interference in this universe, there was no current espada…simply stray arrancars. I hope that clears things up. Obviously it isn't canon, but I thought it was a cooler backstory than the one we never got.

Some of you may recognize the name of the former king…Arturo. Yeah I'm just cranking out surprises left and right here. He may or may not show up in the story, so you'll just have to wait and see. The big highlight of the chapter is why Ichigo's Zanpakuto has the same name as the First Hollow King? There's a reason it isn't Spanish like the others. It sort of makes you wonder where Sosuke Aizen created the original White from too…speculate on that.

Now to address the elephant in the room…the rankings. I could already picture people complaining about where I placed everyone as I wrote this, but for the sake of clarity I'll explain the obvious ones. First of all…I didn't do this list solely based on their popularity, feats, or ressureccions. I did it based on what their Segunda Etapas will be. I know a lot of people are gonna go, "But Melkor-chan! Starrk's the Primera! He's the strongest! He's so fast and smart/etc blah blah." Yeah he's a badass…but that's all subjective in my opinion. One could argue he's immune to Respira, or faster/stronger/etc, but I always felt it was kind of stupid how he outranked Barragan for no obvious reason. Maybe in canon he is truly stronger…but he's not in this story. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy…but that's where he stands. It'll make sense whenever you see the horror I have planned for Barragan's Segunda Etapa. *Grins evilly*

The next obvious question to answer is why did I put Luppi at number 10? Well here's the thing…despite the fact that he's an annoying Bishounen asshole, he's one of those characters that never really got to show his potential since he was essentially there to be killed by Grimmjow. Like him or hate him, I feel like "fixing" a few of these arrancars that got shafted by Kubo's inconsistent power levels and plot driven logic. Luppi being Wonderweiss' Fraccion is phase one of his metamorphosis. Also, Zommari is getting modified as well…because fuck that stupid pumpkin eye bullshit release. That aint happening in my story! You can expect some other changes like that just for my peace of mind.

Now some of you may also wonder why Apacci, Loly, and Menoly ranked so high…well they ate Yammy and have his power divided between them. There's your explanation for that. Also I threw in the unnamed hammerhead arrancar because he didn't die in this universe. I made his name Tiburon Martillo because it means Shark Hammer in Spanish. Yeah I know its super original lol.

All of that technical stuff aside…we got some funny exchanges between Gin and Ichigo. There's plenty of that still to come. Gin's trolling will not end anytime soon. Last, but not least…Ichigo now hates the title Kenpachi. You know what that means…there's gonna be future showdown.

Overall, I had a good time writing this chapter. The next one is probably going to focus a bit on arrancar training and revisit Karin and Yuzu. Until next time…


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: War on the Horizon**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karakura Town XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Isshin bolted frantically to Ryuken Ishida's home after his encounter with Urahara and the Visoreds. His mind was racing a million different directions as he tried to contemplate what was going on with Yuzu, '_Damn it…I should have paid more attention to what she was doing. Why would Yuzu be spending time with Ryuken's son?_'

Upon reaching the Ishida residence, Isshin pounded on the door as hard as he could, "Ryuken, get out here!"

It didn't take long for said man to appear as he opened the door. The white haired man adjusted his glasses and looked at Isshin curiously, "Wearing your Shinigami attire I see…what brings you here Isshin?"

"I'm pretty sure you know why I'm here…where's Yuzu?!" Isshin demanded.

Ryuken sighed, "I figured you would catch on eventually. Urahara probably already did, but he's left her well enough alone. Yuzu was with my son, Uryu last I saw. He's training her in the art of being a Quincy."

"What?! You told Yuzu about all of this?! About us?!" Isshin gawked angrily.

The Quincy shook his head, "No…I did not. She came looking for me actually. Apparently Yuzu knows all about you and Karin…and Ichigo. She came by the hospital asking for me. Uryu found her there and discovered that she was a Quincy as well."

"Yuzu is human! She is not a Quincy!" Isshin said disbelievingly, "what gives you the right to keep this information from me?!"

"We've been friends for a long time, Isshin…I know you all too well. When it comes to your children, you are blind. I knew you would have protested…but there is no denying the facts here. Yuzu awakened Quincy powers and somebody found her. They told her to come to me for training, and she's been under our tutelage ever since," Ryuken explained.

Isshin balled a fist furiously, "Who could have possibly sent Yuzu to you? Was it another Quincy? How could they have known Yuzu had Quincy powers?"

"A Sternritter by the name of Candice…she tried to recruit me into the Wandenreich, but I declined. I believe she was the one who sent Yuzu to us," the white haired man answered.

Isshin's eyes widened, "Sternritter? Wandenreich? What the hell is that?!"

Ryuken sighed, "The Wandenreich is a militaristic organization of surviving pure blood Quincies. I do not know much about them, but I know they are not an organization I care to be a part of. Sternritters are like their elite knights," Ryuken stated coolly.

"That doesn't make any sense…why would somebody like that send Yuzu your way, unless…they're luring you." Isshin's eyes shot open.

Ryuken seemed to immediately catch onto Isshin's line of thought as he brought a hand to his face, "Damn it…I shouldn't have overlooked that."

"Ryuken…where's your son, and Yuzu? Could that Sternritter have contacted them again?" Isshin asked now alarmed.

Ryuken seemed caught off guard by the revelation, "I can't sense their spiritual power…I thought they were still beneath the training ground."

"Maybe they're still there?" Isshin said somewhat hopefully.

The white haired man looked away for a moment, "No…it's been too long. I should have kept a closer eye on them."

"Did they get recruited?! I thought you were watching them, Ryuken!" Isshin said frantically.

The Quincy grunted in aggravation, "I should have known, Candice was up to something. We will go find them immediately."

"You're damned right we will!" Isshin growled.

Before either man could say another word, a third voice joined their conversation, "Don't bother…I saw two people take a pair of teenagers into some kind of strange gateway recently. They're probably already out of reach."

Both men jerked their heads to the source of the voice and spotted a darker skinned woman with purple hair. Isshin gawked in disbelief, "Yoruichi?! When did you get here?"

"I've been following you since you got back at Kisuke's place. I didn't realize things had gotten that bad in the Soul Society. Your son's a hollow and he actually fought Captain Commander Yamamoto?" Yoruichi confirmed.

Isshin nodded, "Yes…where have you been all this time, anyway?"

"Hanging out with Kisuke and what not. Though after seeing all of the Visoreds head back to the Soul Society, I figured it was a good time to come out of hiding," Yoruichi elaborated.

"I guess your timing is good then, because apparently Central 46 was killed during Aizen's betrayal," Isshin said seriously.

The woman's eyes widened, "So then Aizen was the one who let White into the Soul Society? I guess that explains how he got in."

Ryuken Ishida stared at Isshin disbelievingly, "Did she just say that your son was a hollow?"

"Ichigo isn't just any hollow…he's become the same hollow that attacked Masaki over two decades ago," Isshin said in a depressed, but serious way.

The Quincy eyed Isshin curiously before staring at Yoruichi, "That's absurd…and you say he fought the Shinigami leader?"

Yoruichi shrugged, "Hey that's just what I heard…Isshin needs to fill me in on everything still."

"That hollow that infected Masaki all those years ago…it latched onto Ichigo's soul. After he died…they became something else. They've fused souls and are now one being. That powerful hollow, White, looks exactly like Ichigo…because it is Ichigo. Yet…he acts like a bloodthirsty, hate-filled monster. Ichigo was never like that. The son I had, will never be the same again," Isshin said bitterly as if he was just now accepting the situation.

Ryuken's eyes widened considerably, "That hollow…fused with your son?! What does that make him?"

"When I gave up my power to save Masaki…it must have imprinted into the hollow's powers and Masaki's. When Ichigo was born…he was born with all three of our powers, abilities, and blood. And now, he's an arrancar as well. His spiritual energy is tremendous…he's more powerful than I am. He's more powerful than Yamamoto as well. If Ichigo ever unlocks his Quincy blood, he'll be invincible," Isshin ranted.

"Calm yourself, Isshin…surely you're exaggerating here. It is impossible for a hollow to command Quincy powers. Hollow and Quincy powers cannot mix…it's impossible. Ichigo would have to simply choose between one or the other," Ryuken tried to calm the man.

Isshin sighed heavily, "I've got my work cut out for me. I've failed all of my children…just like I failed Masaki. Karin's doomed to walk down the same path as me. Yuzu is god knows where thanks to your actions. Worst of all…Ichigo is the King of Hueco Mundo. How can I accept something like that? What would their mother say?"

"If your son is indeed a hollow…you know what has to be done," Ryuken said slowly.

"Yes…I do. I just don't know how I can live with myself after it's done. What would Yuzu or Karin say?! How would they feel to see their own father, killing their older brother? Yuzu especially…she loves Ichigo more than Karin and I combined…and that's saying something. That's why I didn't want her involved in any of this. She and Karin will hate me if I kill Ichigo…but I have to." Isshin said emotionally.

His behavior was completely abnormal to Ryuken, who was used to seeing Isshin in one of two ways. One he was either goofy and carefree or two Isshin was serious. Seeing his long time friend buried in guilt, shame, and depression was a very hard thing for Ryuken to watch.

The white haired man looked away, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. You're a good man, Isshin…and you didn't deserve this fate. However, that does not change anything. You would be doing your family a greater disservice by allowing Ichigo to exist as a hollow abomination."

"My son…my only son…" Isshin trailed off as he looked down at the ground.

Ryuken looked at Isshin seriously, "Do not give into despair, Isshin…you have a job to do. You should go and do it."

"Well nothing's going to get accomplished by us just standing around here. You and I need to go back to the Soul Society, Isshin. If you don't mind, I want to know the whole story on the way back," Yoruichi suggested to Isshin. The man nodded in acceptance.

Isshin turned his gaze back onto Ryuken seriously, "Try and find out what happened to Yuzu…I'm counting on you. Please let me know anything as soon as you can."

"Of course, old friend…I promise I'll find them," Ryuken reassured him.

"Let's go, Isshin…if we hurry, we might be able to catch up to Kisuke," Yoruichi stated as she practically dragged the man away.

After they departed, Ryuken balled a fist, '_Uryu…you idiot. I was counting on you to take care of the girl. You should have known better than to accept the offer of the Sternritters._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Captain's Meeting XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Deep in the heart of the Seireitei, within the soul society's squad one barracks, a large assembly of powerful captains, lieutenants, and newcomers were gathered. Each of the various squad captains minus the three traitors were lined on either side of Yamamoto with their lieutenants. Across from Yamamoto stood Kisuke Urahara along with the large group of newly arrived Visoreds. Rukia quickly made her way to Ukitake's side as the Visoreds formed a line behind Urahara.

Yamamoto narrowed his gaze, "So it would seem Captain Shiba was right after all. It is good that you came here, Kisuke Urahara. Where is Captain Shiba? Did he not return with you?"

"Hey, Captain Commander, good to see ya. Isshin's got some business, but he'll be back here shortly. He told us to go ahead without him." Urahara stated casually despite the hostile confusion of the situation. Many of the captains gawked at the man as well as the former Shinigami officers behind him.

"Hmm…I see you have brought the rest of your accomplices back with you," Yamamoto noted as he looked over the Visoreds, "though considering your former claims in relation to the current situation…it would seem you were innocent after all. Sosuke Aizen was indeed a traitor."

"You're damned right we were innocent! I'm glad Central 46 is dead! All this destruction is your fault for not even giving us a chance to set the record straight!" Hiyori burst out angrily. She appeared less than pleased with the situation and had a look of rage directed towards her former peers.

Shinji shared her disposition, but he was less angry and more condescending in his tone, "Sosuke Aizen has always been a traitor. Hiyori is right…this is what you deserve for your shortsighted justice. We were forced into exile over your 'righteous' actions."

Shunsui shook his head, "Well my memory is a bit hazy, but I remember seeing Aizen the same night all that happened. How'd you explain that? He couldn't have been in two places at once."

"Well, that's another thing you probably need to know…Aizen's Zanpakuto isn't really a water type. Kyoka Suigetsu is actually an illusion type…its ability revolves around perfect hypnosis." Urahara clarified.

Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. Unohana stared at Urahara seriously, "Are you implying that we were hypnotized by Aizen's Zanpakuto?"

"I wouldn't doubt it…I've kept a close eye on him for decades. Aizen's a crafty guy," Urahara noted.

Shinji clenched a fist angrily, "It's true! Aizen, Tousen, and that snake of a kid, Ichimaru set us up!"

"Calm down, Hirako…nobody is questioning you now. Obviously, you're all innocent of those crimes. Even if you weren't, I think the Captain Commander would overlook it in this situation," Unohana silenced the man.

Hiyori scoffed in disapproval, "Sure he would! We're only welcome back if it conveniences you right?!"

Kensei sighed, "Unless you get rid of that ridiculous execution sentence placed on us, then I'm out of here. We didn't come to justify ourselves to you guys."

Yamamoto held up his hand and glared at the Visoreds dangerously, "Enough with your snide remarks…what's done is done. Due to the recent proof of Sosuke Aizen's treachery, I will extend a pardon on all of you…despite what you are. With Central 46 murdered in cold blood, I have the authority to revoke their decision."

"You gotta love martial law," Urahara chuckled, but nobody else seemed to find his comment funny.

"So you're just going to pretend nothing happened and act like we're all good now?!" Shinji said distastefully.

Lisa frowned as she crossed her arms, "I think we deserve some kind of compensation for this…it wasn't our fault that those three made us into what we are. I agree with Shinji…words aren't enough to just make things okay between us."

"I see…then why exactly did you choose to return after a century?" Yamamoto asked. None of the Visoreds had a reply for his question as they all traded looks with each other.

Urahara frowned at the statement and spoke on their behalf, "I asked them to come, Captain Commander…judging by how powerful Hueco Mundo will become, I figured you needed reinforcements. Plus, I heard about what you did for Isshin…I thought it might be good to clear things up with everyone else as well."

"Umm, excuse me here, but who and what exactly are all of you? What's this about pardoning them? What happened?" Toshiro cut into the conversation with a serious curiosity.

Before any of the Visoreds could answer, Kisuke spoke up, "Allow me to explain to those of you that don't know. Many of us used to be Gotei 13 officers over a century ago, but after an incident involving Sosuke Aizen, we were all framed under the assumption that I had performed Hollowfication on all of them. At the time I wasn't sure what Aizen was hoping to gain from it, but now it makes sense…he wanted to create arrancars. With his own Hogyoku he indirectly turned these former captains and lieutenants here into Visoreds…which is like a Shinigami antithesis to a Hollow Arrancar."

Many of the younger captains gasped or stared with widened eyes at the news. The older ones seemed to share the same line of thought as it became increasingly obvious why Sosuke Aizen would want the Hogyoku and why he was aligned with White.

"Visoreds? What is that exactly?" Hitsugaya asked.

"We can put hollow masks on…" Kensei answered bluntly causing several of the younger captains to stare at them shocked.

Renji stared at the Visoreds incredulously, "And you all used to be former Gotei 13 officers?!"

"Yes we were…" Lisa answered in a matter of fact way, "I'm, the former vice-captain of Squad Eight. I'm Lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru."

Shunsui stared at her almost nostalgically, "Lisa…it's good to see you after so many years."

Nanao appeared almost emotional, much to everyone's surprise as she gave her former mentor a saddened stare, "I thought you were dead…"

"Another one of former Captain Urahara's tricks…" Chojiro spoke up for the first time in the meeting. He seemed more interested in the situation than usual.

Looking back at the Visoreds behind him, Urahara sighed, "Well…you guys might as well reintroduce yourselves to the new Gotei 13. I'm pretty sure most of them won't recognize you."

Kensei and Rose appeared passive, but had somewhat serious expressions. Love sighed as he stepped forward first, "Rabu Aikawa, AKA Love…former captain of Squad Seven."

"Rojuro Otoribashi…but you can call me Rose. I was the Squad Three captain," the blonde introduced himself.

"I'm Mashiro Kuna!" the green haired Visored woman announced cheerily, despite the tension, "former Squad Nine lieutenant!"

Kensei sighed, "I was her captain in Squad Nine…the name's Kensei Muguruma."

Shuuhei, the acting leader of Squad Nine due to Tousen's betrayal, was in pure shock at the sight of his former hero. The scarred lieutenant voiced his opinion, "Captain Muguruma?! Did you know about Kaname Tousen?! Was he involved with Aizen from the start?!"

The white haired man gave the scarred Shinigami a curious look, "I recognize you…Hisagi right?"

Before their conversation could continue, Shinji introduced himself, "I'm Shinji Hirako, and I'm the former captain of Squad Five. Sosuke Aizen was my lieutenant…before we were framed."

"I am Hachigen Ushoda. I was a high ranking member of the Kido Corps," the hefty pink haired man continued.

Finally giving in to the situation, Hiyori sighed, "Hiyori Sarugaki…former Squad Twelve lieutenant."

"And I'm Kisuke Urahara as I'm sure most of you know by now…this cute little fox was my underling," Urahara chuckled lightening the mood slightly.

Hiyori cracked a fist at him, "Don't call me cute…that's gross coming from you."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi narrowed his gaze at Urahara spitefully, "Yes, we all know you are…the _former_ captain of Squad Twelve. Now that these unpleasant introductions are over, how's about you explain the nature of the Hogyoku that Sosuke Aizen was after."

Everyone's thoughts and conversations were cut short as they focused on Urahara wondering that very question. The man lifted his hat slightly so that the room could see his face better. Urahara appeared serious as he looked at the crowd, "My Hogyoku was supposed to be kept hidden. Part of me had hoped that it would remain dormant in Rukia Kuchiki…forgotten."

"Why was this item in Rukia to begin with? I wasn't aware that you two had any kind of connection." Byakuya asked bluntly with a touch of displeasure in his voice.

Kisuke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well…that's sort of complicated. You see, I put it in her a while back when she was stationed in Karakura Town. It was where I was hiding all this time. Her power level was perfectly suited for concealing it since she is strong enough to hold it but not too strong that she would activate its power. I sort of had to sneak it in if you catch my drift."

"Sneak it in? You might want to reword that…" Byakuya said darkly.

"Why me though?" Rukia asked uncertainly.

Urahara sighed, "I needed to hide the Hogyoku before Aizen found out where we were. If he had discovered us…it might have been possible that he would use our traitor status to hunt me down with the Soul Society's permission and retrieve the Hogyoku with authorized force. I knew that if it was hidden with you, he wouldn't find it for a while. And if he did…he wouldn't be able to take it without activating the Hogyoku's power. I imagine you all felt a strong spike in spiritual pressure when Aizen took it out of her right? That was a final failsafe so that if he did so, it would alert everyone in the Seireitei that something was happening. It prevented Aizen from taking it since it would leave him cornered. Unfortunately…I had no idea that he had an escape route to Hueco Mundo planned. It would seem he got one up on me."

"I don't care how this all happened…I care about what we plan on doing to stop them! White is monstrously powerful…is there anything you can tell us about that hollow, Urahara? Captain Shiba said that it used to be another hollow before fusing with his son. Is that true?" Soifon asked angrily.

Kisuke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well…besides the fact that his name is Ichigo, and he has Isshin's Shinigami powers, there's not that much I could tell you about White."

"Don't play dumb you asshole! You knew that creature was Shiba's son all along…didn't you, Urahara?" Hiyori put him on the spot.

Everyone stared at Urahara incredulously. He simply looked down somewhat shamefully, "I had my suspicions. It seemed to be more than a coincidence that a hollow matching the description of the one that attacked Isshin decades ago just so happened to appear again after his son died to a hollow attack."

"So you're saying you knew and you didn't tell Captain Shiba?" Hitsugaya asked threateningly.

"Like I said…it was just a theory. Isshin probably suspected it too, but the guy's a bit soft in the head when it comes to his kids. I figured it was best to let him come to terms with it himself," Urahara replied.

"A warning to the Soul Society might have been nice…" Soifon scoffed in annoyance.

Kisuke nodded, "Yeah…and not getting banished would have been nice too. Sadly, nothing ever goes exactly as planned. Regardless of all that, we're in serious trouble if Sosuke Aizen has my Hogyoku. My guess is that he's probably already combined it with his own and has a complete Hogyoku now. With White on his side, he'll easily be able to mass produce an army of arrancars with it. Plus…there's no telling what else he intends to do with the Hogyoku's power."

"This is crazy! So that's what they were after?! White wanted to mass produce an army of these arrancars with the help of Sosuke Aizen!?" Komamura jaw dropped.

Yamamoto scoffed in annoyance, "White believes he is the King of the Hollows…and is building an army to challenge us. It would seem we are now at war. The existence of organized arrancars poses not only a danger to the Soul Society, but to the balance of everything!"

"What makes arrancars so dangerous…I mean besides the obvious fact that they're powerful hollows? Is there some particular reason why they want to kill us? If we could diminish their reasons for wanting to work with Aizen, we'd stand a better chance wouldn't we?" Rukia questioned not fully understanding the severity of the situation.

Chojiro answered her question before anyone else could, "Arrancars are an abomination of nature. They are hollows that possess Shinigami powers. Not only that, but they are far more intelligent and organized since they are more human. When hollows become Arrancars, they cease needing to feed on each other…when that happens they typically turn away from fighting one another and unite to fight against us."

"Wait…so this has happened before?" Renji asked with a shocked expression.

Chojiro looked over at Yamamoto and then Unohana. Both of them had looks of intensity directed his way. He took this as a sign to shut his mouth and shook his head, "Not exactly…but hollows are dangerous regardless of their form. Natural arrancars have always been rare…some say rarer than Vasto Lordes. To imagine an army of them is something foreboding. With White and Sosuke Aizen pulling the strings, there's no telling what kind of havoc they can inflict on us."

"It would seem all of this is Kisuke Urahara's fault…I recommend we go forth with the execution anyways," Mayuri said sadistically.

"No complaints here…" Hiyori added as she glared at the man.

Before anyone else could add their two cents to the conversation, Yamamoto growled loudly, "All this talk of blame is getting us nowhere! Get back to the matter at hand!"

"I agree…as foolish as Urahara's actions were, they are irrelevant now. We have a much bigger issue to deal with, and cannot afford to point fingers anymore." Byakuya stated coolly.

Kyouraku nodded approvingly, "Yeah, my first question is how the hell are we going to stop White from doing another one of those cross beam attacks? It tore through the Seireitei like a knife through butter."

"The huge path of destruction that goes all the way out to the Rukongai…what was that? We saw the scarred landscape on the way in. Did White really create an attack of that magnitude?!" Lisa cut into the conversation curiously.

Kyouraku sighed, "Ah that…well, that was the cross beam attack that White used to get rid of me and Jushiro. I think it was called a Getsuga Jujisho. He seemed pretty angry when we tried to stop him. Thankfully Jushiro's Shikai was active or we'd have both been toast."

"I saw and felt that attack from the other side of the Seireitei…it demolished an entire Rukongai district." Momo added with a depressed, hopeless tone. She was still recovering from the aftermath of her captain's betrayal, but was even more horrified by the fact that he was aligned with the most infamous hollow known to the Soul Society.

"That whole trail of destruction was from one attack?!" Shinji deadpanned.

"Yes, and I'm willing to wager that it's only a fraction of what White's capable of. If something like that could do so much damage, then he's more than match for most of the captains. I believe Captain Soifon was correct…it will require strategy and teamwork to take White down. He is not a foe that we can hope to overpower," Ukitake added.

"How did his attack penetrate Sekkiseki stone though?! Isn't it supposed to absorb spiritual energy?!" Hiyori deadpanned.

'_Ichigo might already have access to some of his Quincy powers…that's not good_. Urahara seemed indifferent to the situation as he gave Yamamoto a stern look, '_I don't know if it's a good idea to tell them about Masaki's heritage…they've got enough to worry about without having to deal with the fact that Ichigo is part Quincy. The head captain likely knows, but I don't think Isshin would like me spreading that information here_. _I should ask him and see what he's told them before I say anything._'

Ukitake shook his head, "It is a great mystery. Though unfortunately, that is not the most pressing issue. The fact that this hollow was able to hold his own against the Captain Commander is what I find remarkably terrifying. We cannot simply rely on the Captain Commander to stop this juggernaut. We need a plan before things come to that."

"Yeah, Old Man Yama would probably have to use his bankai to kill that beast of a hollow if we all failed. That's bad for everyone…trust me," Kyouraku agreed.

"Don't even bother strategizing. I will kill that creature myself the next time he appears. All of you have proven yourselves too feeble for the task. That hollow is my responsibility now. If any of you wish to prove yourselves useful then you will need to deal with his army. I will not watch you children flail helplessly against a foe you cannot defeat." Yamamoto growled.

Many of the captains were shocked by Yamamoto's hostile, condescending remark. The younger captains especially, seemed angry that he considered them weak. In particular, Soifon, Hitsugaya, Komamura, Byakuya, and Kenpachi were all displeased by Yamamoto's lack of faith. Some hid it better than others, such as Byakuya and Komamura, but Soifon was actually glaring at the old Shinigami with fury.

Kenpachi had a disapproving stare, but said nothing.

"Do we have any kind of estimate of how many hollows White will bring back next time?" Hitsugaya asked.

Nobody answered much to his disappointment which led to a very awkward, foreboding silence. Toshiro shook his head depressed, "We need to know what we're up against. How many arrancars do you think White might bring?"

Urahara answered much to his relief, "Well, considering how rare Vasto Lordes are, I wouldn't imagine him having many arrancars stronger than captain level on his side. Though if you throw in the three captains along with whatever else he's got in his arsenal then I'd say it's very possible for him to have at least a dozen captain class allies."

"You're saying he's got a dozen captain class allies?!" Hitsugaya gasped, "surely you're exaggerating."

"Well, I can't say for sure, but it's very possible he might even have more than that," Urahara said forebodingly.

"How…how are we going to stop an army of hollows like that?!" Komamura demanded. His unusual moodiness was rubbing off on several others nearby. Tetsuzaemon Iba shared his captain's disposition as he stood with his head down.

Isane Kotetsu shook her head fearfully, "We won't be able to win without heavy casualties…how could the hollows have become this powerful so fast?"

"All hollows can be killed…I think the rest of you need to get past the illusion of invincibility that White tries to exude. The Soul Society will retaliate with its full power if necessary…we must wipe out these arrancars no matter what the cost," Unohana stated in an uncharacteristically dark way.

Isane looked at her captain somewhat surprised, but said nothing. Many of the room's inhabitants shared her reaction. Kenpachi Zaraki broke into an approving grin at her response, '_Now that's the Yachiru I like to see…_'

Rukia stared at Unohana, '_What's going on with the older captains? It's as if they know something that we don't…I've never seen Captain Unohana say something like that_._ Why does she and the head captain both look so distressed? They're normally calm about fighting powerful enemies._'

Shinji crossed his arms, "As powerful as White is, I'm having a difficult time imagining Sosuke Aizen taking orders from a hollow. You can't overlook him at all…he's the real puppeteer behind all of this. He's probably just using White against us…most likely with Kyoka Suigetsu."

"How do you know White isn't using him?" Hachigen asked Shinji causing many in the room to stare wide-eyed at the idea.

"This is a damn mess. I wonder who has more of a god-complex, Aizen or White?" Soifon shook her head distastefully. Her mood was even more sour than usual due to Yamamoto's lack of faith in the captains.

"Maybe if we're lucky, White will kill Aizen for us," Hiyori said almost sadistically, "but then we wouldn't get the satisfaction of doing it ourselves."

Momo visibly clenched a fist as she thought about Aizen, '_Why?! Why would Captain Aizen do this?! It makes no sense…why would he join forces with that evil hollow?! Captain Aizen hates hollows!_'

The woman glared at Hiyori unhappily, "Don't say things like that. Captain Aizen…he-"

"Momo, don't…" Toshiro tried to stop her outburst.

Hiyori turned her gaze to Aizen's lieutenant with a perplexed glare, "You got something you want to say? Oh I get it…you're Aizen's lieutenant huh? Squad Five yeah?"

"Hiyori, stop…" Shinji tried to prevent a scene.

The short blonde continued nonetheless, "Oh no…I want to hear what she has to say."

"Captain Aizen hates hollows…it makes no sense that he would betray us to them," Momo stated.

Hiyori face palmed, "You're clearly in denial…haven't you been listening this whole time? Aizen's a manipulator! He's probably got you brainwashed for all we know."

Momo immediately backed down as she looked away unable to meet anyone's gaze. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed. Her long time idol, and inspiration throughout life was a traitor to everything he once stood for. It meant that everything she had done or thought up until now was based around a lie.

The lieutenant shut down shortly afterward as she refused to look back up. Hiyori looked somewhat regretful from her previous comment but brushed it off as she turned towards the group, "There's no telling what's going on with White and Aizen. Though figuring out their allegiance might be in our best interest."

"So…what was White's real name again? Ichigo right?" Kenpachi confirmed.

Urahara nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, that's his name…Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Ichigo huh? I'll remember that name for next time. Mortal enemies should know each others' names," Kenpachi said approvingly. Not many people understood the halfway respectful way he spoke of Ichigo.

Yamamoto pounded his cane, "No…you've failed twice to kill this hollow. You will leave him to me…I will permanently put that thing down!"

"How should we go about our training then, Captain Commander? Also, what are we to do with these Visoreds?" Ukitake asked.

The Visoreds all tensed up upon being mentioned and stared at the old man seriously as they wondered what he had in mind for them.

The Shinigami leader looked at several of the former captains, "Captain Kensei Muguruma…you are permitted to reclaim your former position as the Squad Nine captain due to the absence of Kaname Tousen. Captain Rojuro Otoribashi…in absence of Gin Ichimaru, you may reclaim Squad Three should you so choose. And Captain Hirako…you may take the vacant seat as Squad Five's captain."

The three named captains stared at Yamamoto somewhat doubtfully wondering whether or not to accept his offer. Kensei and Rose both instinctively looked towards Shinji, their de facto leader.

Shinji shrugged, "If it means getting back at Sosuke Aizen, then I'm in…but don't think that makes everything okay between us."

"We accept as well," Kensei added after trading a brief nod with Rose.

"Hey, so what about the rest of us? What do you want us to do?" Hiyori half demanded.

Yamamoto held up his hand, "Of course those of you that were former Lieutenants may assume a co-rank with existing Lieutenants in these Squads. We will need every able bodied Shinigami ready before White strikes out at us."

Several of the current lieutenants seemed confused by the announcement. Shuuhei looked at Yamamoto uncertainly before pointing at Mashiro, "So you're saying that she and I will have the same seat?"

"Precisely…in times of war, it may very well benefit the Gotei 13 to have additional officers in case of casualties," Yamamoto answered.

Shuuhei nodded, "I see…"

"Yay! I get to stay with you, Kensei!" Mashiro cheered as she gracefully soared towards Kensei and jumped on his back. The green haired Visored waved at Shuuhei happily, "Dontchu worry, Hisagi, we'll make Squad Nine fun again!"

Kensei sighed as Mashiro did some kind of cheerful dance on his back. He looked down halfway annoyed, "There's no getting away from you I guess…"

Hiyori frowned as she looked at Mayuri, "I aint going to be that creepy guy's lieutenant…forget it! The Pharaoh and I don't get along. I'm only in if you let me be in Shinji's Squad."

Mayuri gawked at Hiyori offended, "Pharaoh? Are you mocking my beautiful headpiece?"

"Well at least it beats the sideways toilet seat thing you used to have up there…" Toshiro muttered under his breath.

"Sideways toilet seat thing?! What an ineloquent and inaccurate statement…though considering that it came from you, I shouldn't be surprised, "Mayuri noted as he gave Toshiro a condescending look.

"Lieutenant Sarugaki, your request is accepted. You may share the seat with Lieutenant Momo Hinamori," Yamamoto nodded.

The short blonde woman nodded in acceptance without saying anything. She still appeared unhappy about the situation, but likely trusted in Shinji's decision to accept reinstatement.

Lisa looked at Shunsui, "So I'm back in Squad Eight then?"

"Don't you worry, Lisa…it'll feel just like home. We'd love to have you back…right Nanao?" Kyouaku said with a smile.

Nanao adjusted her glasses and smiled, "We'd be honored to have you here, Lisa…"

"Well, I wasn't expecting such a warm welcome…" Lisa said somewhat surprised.

Love crossed his arms, "So since Squad Seven isn't vacant…where do I fit in?"

"You, along with Captains Shiba and Urahara will be granted a special status. You will not oversee any particular division or squad, but will be captains nonetheless. Should any captains fall in battle, you will assume their place regardless of the division," Yamamoto clarified.

Love nodded but said nothing in response. Hachigen chose not to say anything, but already assumed that his position in the Kido Corps was likely to be reinstated.

"Something's bothering me…you said they were Visoreds right, and that they had hollow masks? How does that work exactly?" Rukia asked as she looked over the newly reinstated officers.

There was a brief silence, before Mashiro enthusiastically leapt in front of everyone, "Allow me to show you! When we put on our hollow masks, we gain additional power for a brief period of time."

Everyone stared with surprise as Mashiro put on her Visored mask. Mayuri seemed very interested as he stared at it, "Hmm…those abilities might very well prove useful. Though you would be more useful if you allowed me to take a few samples and study-"

"I don't think so freakshow!" Hiyori interrupted, "You're not going to touch us…got that?"

"Have you made any progress on completing the Garganta?" Unohana immediately set the conversation back on track.

Mayuri sighed heavily, "My progress on creating a Garganta is nearing completion. What should we do when it's complete?"

Yamamoto pounded his cane authoritatively, "Nothing…for now. We will let the hollows come to us. Leaving the Seireitei's forces divided may prove to be a fatal error due to Sosuke Aizen's inside information. We will need to fortify defenses and train for this war. I want all captains to ensure their squads are prepped and ready for White's invasion."

"Captain Commander!" Soifon shouted, catching everyone's attention. The woman quickly knelt down to Yamamoto and crossed an arm over her chest, "I would like your permission infiltrate Hueco Mundo and spy on White. I will not engage him…just observe."

Several people were quick to voice their opinion on the matter. Hitsugaya shook his head, "That's suicide…nobody in their right mind would go to Hueco Mundo with a hollow like White as its King. Plus, how do you intend to sneak around undetected?"

"The intel gathered, could prove useful…but it seems too dangerous and not worth the risk," Ukitake stated.

Soifon stood up as she gritted her teeth, "It's my job as the leader of the Stealth Force! I want to contribute to this somehow…there's no amount of training that's going to prepare my squad for fighting something like White and whatever army he brings…not unless we understand what we're dealing with! I don't like the idea of just sitting here and waiting!"

"Well, I could help you out with being undetected…I've developed a Reiatsu concealing cloak, if you'd care to try it out," Urahara suggested.

Yamamoto took a deep breath and nodded his head, "Very well…your initiative has been accepted, Captain Soifon. I grant you permission to infiltrate Hueco Mundo…but we cannot afford to send a large group. This kind of endeavor would require perfect espionage."

"I'll go alone…" the woman stated callously as if nobody else in the room was capable of helping her.

Several of the other officers gave her distasteful looks, but Yamamoto nodded in acceptance, "So be it…"

"Are you out of your mind captain?! You'll killed if they find you there! I can't let you go by yourself!" Omaeda protested unhappily.

Soifon jabbed him in the stomach with an elbow and glared, "Shut up…unlike the rest of you spineless cowards, I'm not going to sit around and expect the Captain Commander to handle White. I'll gather information and return once I find useful exploitations."

"Ideally, it would be good to learn of the size of his army and the possible weaknesses each hollow exhibits," Chojiro said with a respectful nod.

The dark haired captain nodded her head, "I'll leave as soon as Captain Kurotsuchi has the Garganta ready. You there, Urahara…get me that cloak as soon as possible."

"This meeting is concluded until further notice…those of you that have been reinstated should restore order to your various divisions. Dismissed!" Yamamoto announced pounding his cane.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karin XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Due to recent events, the Shinigami Academy had been closed. Karin couldn't help but feel indifferent to that fact since she didn't care much for it anyways. Her mind was racing a million laps around the thought of Ichigo and his actions.

Looking out over a massive balcony overlook from the Shiba Mansion, Karin could see a tremendously large scar of pure destruction extending out past the broken wall of the Seireitei. The teen shook her head disbelievingly, '_How could Ichigo do something like that? Just how powerful is he? Is he stronger than dad?_'

Her contemplation was cut short as one of the mansion's servants came darting behind her urgently, "Shiba-sama! There's somebody at the front door asking for you. Would you like us to get rid of them?"

"Who is it?" Karin asked almost mechanically as she didn't really put much thought or care into the question.

The messenger answered immediately, "A white haired girl claiming to be one of your classmates."

Karin turned towards the messenger and looked at him uncertainly, "Yukimura? What would she want?"

"Should I tell her to leave?" the man asked.

Karin shrugged, "Don't bother…I'll tell her myself."

After a short trek down the large stairs and into the main lobby, Karin pushed the front door open. Confirming the messenger's statement, it was indeed Ayame.

Karin glared at the white haired girl with a lazy carelessness, "Yukimura…what do you want?"

"Shiba…you're alive?! I heard some people saying you survived. How did you survive against White?" Ayame asked. Karin couldn't help but notice the other girl's unusual, genuine tone.

She crossed her arms confrontationally, "It doesn't matter…I'm alive. Now care to explain why you're bothering me at my house?"

The girl looked down almost shamefully, "I guess I wanted to apologize…the way you stood up to White was incredibly brave. You probably saved my life…when I heard you survived, I thought I'd come and thank you."

"Somehow I doubt you really care…" Karin said skeptically as she began to push the door closed. Before it could close all the way, Ayame placed her hand on it and held it open.

"Wait! C-can we talk? Please…there's some things I wanted to know," Ayame persisted.

Karin rose a brow doubtfully, "Is that so? Why should I care about anything you have to say? You're a bitch who probably should have died in that attack…"

"If that's how you feel, then why did you try and sacrifice yourself to save me?!" Ayame demanded.

Karin rolled her eyes as she took her hand off the door, "Fine, come in…we'll talk."

"Thanks…" the other girl said halfway respectfully as she entered the Shiba Mansion. Upon entering she noticed Karin sit down on one of the bottom steps of the staircase.

The Shiba teen stared at Ayame intently, "For the record, I wasn't trying to save you…I wanted answers from White. That hollow killed my brother Ichigo."

"White spoke to you like he knew you personally…care to explain what that was all about? And what's Karakura Town?" Ayame started her inquiries.

Karin sighed, "Look…I was a human before coming here not too long ago. Karakura Town is where I used to live. I didn't even know my father was a Shinigami until recently."

Ayame deadpanned, "Wait what?! You were a human recently?"

"Yeah…I didn't get the luxurious childhood you imagined. Captain Yamamoto put me up in this place a while back after my father brought me to the Soul Society," Karin elaborated.

The other girl looked completely shocked, "T-then…all those things I said were-"

"Yeah, they were not true. I didn't even realize my Shikai until after joining the academy," Karin continued.

"That's impossible! Nobody develops a Shikai that fast! Even I had to spend close to a year to get mine," Ayame protested.

Karin shrugged, "Whatever…I'm done trying to out do you. Go ahead and enjoy being queen of the Shinigami Academy because I'm not going back."

"You're quitting?! Y-you can't do that!" Ayame shouted, "After a hollow attack in the heart of the Seireitei and everything that's happened…how can you quit now?!"

The girl looked at Ayame sadly, "I couldn't bring back Ichigo even if I could kill White. No amount of power or training is going to mean anything…he's gone forever."

"Still…you can't just up and quit over something like that. I mean, if you care about your brother's memory, you shouldn't give up," Ayame stated.

Karin glared at her, "What's with the sudden shift in attitude?"

"Look…I'm sorry okay? I didn't know all that stuff about you. In fact I barely know anything about you at all. So…how did White kill your brother exactly?" Ayame asked.

"I don't feel like talking about it…" Karin said as bluntly as possible.

Before Ayame could voice her disapproval, the sound of the Shiba Mansion opening caught their attention. Walking into the massive building was none other than Isshin. Karin's eyes widened considerably, "You're back!?"

"Karin…we need to talk," her father stated seriously. The man quickly noticed Ayame, "I don't know who she is, but she needs to leave…"

"I guess that's my cue to leave then…" Ayame concluded as she walked past Isshin. The white haired girl couldn't help but feel intimidated by Isshin's demeanor. The man seemed beyond aggravated. Ayame looked back at them one last time before leaving, '_She said her brother's name was Ichigo? Hmm…_'

After Ayame was gone, Isshin stared at Karin sadly, "About your brother's death, Karin…"

"I know what really happened. Ichigo is a hollow now…He killed my sensei right in front of the Shinigami Academy," Karin stated before Isshin got a chance to speak.

The man's eyes widened, "Y-you know then?! I'm…I don't know what to say."

"There's not much to say…Ichigo is a hollow, and we're Shinigami. I knew White was Ichigo for a while now. I confronted him and tried to fight him at the Academy when he was after that lieutenant…he didn't even fight back. He said I belonged in Karakura Town living a normal life. Maybe he was right," Karin sulked.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Karin…I'm sorry for what happened to your brother. All of this is my fault. Had I realized sooner…had I done something to stop this…" Isshin apologized sadly.

Karin shrugged, "It's not your fault…that is just how things are now. I want to go home, dad…and see Yuzu. Has she been alright? Ichigo asked about her…"

"He did?" Isshin said disbelievingly.

"Yeah…he asked me if Yuzu was a Shinigami like us. Thank heaven she isn't…how has she been? Can we go and see her?" Karin asked hopefully.

"You can't…she's missing," Isshin said looking away.

Karin's eyes widened, "What?! Is she okay? Who took her? What happened?"

"I don't know…but I have a guy looking into it. I'm not really sure how to tell you this, Karin, but Yuzu knows…everything. She's a Quincy too…just like your mother," the man replied.

The raven haired teen was glad she was sitting down, because that bit of news hit her hard. Karin gritted her teeth, "How though? She knew?!"

"According to Ryuken Ishida…Yuzu knows we're Shinigami. I don't know if she knows about Ichigo…and for heaven's sake I hope she never finds out. It would destroy her," Isshin said distantly.

Karin glared at her father, "It's not like Yuzu is the only one who loves Ichigo, dad! How do you think I'm feeling right now!? My own brother wants to kill us all! Why?! Can't we help him? Can't a Konso do something?! Why is he so powerful and angry?!"

"I don't know…but things can't be allowed to go on like this. Ichigo needs to be stopped. You saw what he did to the Seireitei…that's only a fraction of what he's capable of. Your brother possesses the powers of Hollow, Shinigami, and Quincy…if he ever realizes it, then he'll be impossible to defeat," Isshin sighed.

"First Ichigo…and now Yuzu is missing?! Damn it…I don't know what to do! I want to leave this place, but now we can't can we?" Karin said uncertainly as tears streamed down her face.

Isshin embraced her in a hug and frowned, "Stay strong, Karin…we'll find Yuzu and make things right. As for Ichigo…we'll figure something out."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Squad Twelve Research Lab XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Soifon crossed her arms impatiently as she glared at Mayuri, "So what is this thing missing in order to work?! You've been working on it for how long now?! Hey, Urahara…how's about you do something useful and figure out what's wrong with his machine."

Urahara, who was standing nearby quickly jumped into the conversation, "Ah, well Mayuri's a bit of an amateur at this. I'll have this Garganta device up and running here shortly. How's the cloak fitting by the way?"

Soifon looked over the unusual cloak device that Urahara had give her to wear and shrugged, "It's hideous…but if you're right about it working, then it'll be good enough for this mission."

"Ah it's not that bad looking… but it's not really built for your slender physique. If you want I can make you a custom, tight-fitting one." Urahara suggested.

Before he could continue, Soifon interrupted him, "It's fine! How much longer is this going to take?"

"Just a few more minutes here…umm, are you in some kind of hurry to leave?" Urahara asked as he continued with his adjustments to Mayuri's machine.

Soifon scoffed at him, "What are you kidding me? Of course I am…the longer I wait, the more dangerous this mission becomes."

"Alright alright…sheesh. And done," Urahara stated as he corrected the Garganta device causing it to open. Mayuri leered at Urahara as hatefully as possible.

"It would seem your alterations were correct…" Mayuri Kurotsuchi said bitterly between his teeth. He quickly turned to Nemu and muttered a few insults to her.

Soifon looked at the Garganta doubtfully, "Quick question…how will I be able to return?"

"You didn't think of that before volunteering? Are you stupid or something?" Mayuri shook his head laughing.

The ninja captain bit her tongue as she ignored the man and stared at Urahara for some kind of solution. Kisuke smiled knowingly as he placed a strange device over her wrist, "That device will signal this machine to open a Garganta from anywhere in Hueco Mundo to here. Be careful where you use it though. You don't want hollows pouring into the lab now do ya?"

Mayuri muttered more insults under his breath at Urahara, "Shouldn't you be on your way now? I can handle this from here…it is my machine after all."

"Oh sure…make sure you keep the power flowing in case she needs to make a quick escape," Urahara waved before taking his leave. After he was gone, Mayuri hissed angrily, "I loathe that man…"

"Is it safe to go in?" Soifon asked.

Mayuri sighed heavily, "Yes yes…you will just have to manifest a walkway with your own spiritual energy. It should be quite simple. I will keep power running, and will monitor the machine until your return. Feel free to pick up some specimens before coming back…I would greatly appreciate it."

"I'll see what I can do…" the woman replied callously.

Reluctantly, Soifon entered the Garganta and turned back to look at Mayuri before it closed. "If I don't come back in a week, then I'm probably dead. If so, then you need to turn this thing off."

"Obviously…do you forget that I am the scientist here and you're the spy?" Mayuri said condescendingly right as the Garganta closed behind her. Facing forward, Soifon formed a path through the Garganta.

'_I'll prove the Captain Commander wrong…we're not all feeble! I'll do my part for this war_,' the woman thought stalwartly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Seireitei, Outside Squad Twelve XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As Kisuke Urahara made his way down the street, a familiar flash landed in front of him, revealing none other than Yoruichi. The woman stared at him curiously, "Hey Kisuke…care to explain what's going on right now? Isshin sort of filled me in, but what happened with the Captain Commander? I heard the Visoreds were reinstated?"

"Ah yes…they were. I'm sure quite a few people will recognize you. Me, you, and Isshin will have special captain status. Though since Soifon just left for Hueco Mundo, they might stick you back in Squad Two until she gets back."

"Soifon went to Hueco Mundo?! Why?!" Yoruichi said disbelievingly.

Kisuke shrugged, "Ah you know how she is…the Captain Commander pretty much said the younger captains were useless and she got all offended and volunteered for a reconnaissance mission."

Yoruichi's eyes widened, "How can you sound so casual about it?! She'll die if they discover her!"

"Hey, relax, I wouldn't send her off, without a few lifelines. She's got a Reiatsu concealing cloak and a few gadgets of mine. She'll be okay…" Urahara reassured the woman.

Yoruichi crossed her arms and sighed, "I need to go after her…why didn't you wait for me to get here?!"

"That's probably not a good idea…she hasn't seen you in over a century. I'll bet she's still pissed off. You might want to wait for her to come back. Besides, I'm going to need your help coming up with a plan to deal with Ichigo," Urahara stated.

The dark skinned woman looked down sadly, "I guess it can't be helped…but what could I possibly do to help you with Isshin's son?"

"Well…this may sound strange, but I need you to find a way to lure Ichigo to the World of the Living," Urahara said slowly.

Yoruichi rose a brow, "What? Why? Is there a particular reason you want me to do it?"

"Yes actually…you're probably the only person fast enough to outrun him. I'll explain it to you later. I've been working on a plan," Urahara trailed off.

The woman frowned at her long time friend, "Kisuke…I have a question and please be serious when you answer me. Did you know what was going on with Isshin's daughter? The Quincy one I mean?"

Urahara nodded, "Yeah…I figured she was up to something the moment I saw her with Ishida. I would have made an issue of it, but I figured she was in good hands with Ryuken."

"Well, apparently she got kidnapped…or recruited…I don't know. But Isshin's really pissed at you right now. You might want to work that out with him when you get the chance," Yoruichi suggested.

Kisuke seemed slightly alarmed, "Recruited? That's not good…we should probably go find Isshin right away."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Soifon growled in annoyance as she traversed the endless desert of Hueco Mundo at high speed. She made sure to stay low to the ground and had her eyes trained to detect any possible hollow. Though much to her dissatisfaction, Hueco Mundo was very empty and difficult to conceal oneself.

She had no way of knowing how long had passed during the long, high-speed trek through the desert, but she eventually noticed a tremendous building in the distance. The Squad Two Captain squinted hard as she tried to get a closer look at it, '_What the hell is that? I didn't know there were buildings here…_'

The woman closed in on it, but appeared to get no closer despite how fast she ran. After what literally felt like hours, Soifon was within closer range. She couldn't help but wonder how large the building actually was, '_Is this some kind of palace? I'll bet it's the size of a city!_'

The wind seemed to pick up all of a sudden, quickly alarming her to an approaching power source. Soifon swiftly dove down and buried herself as best she could in the sand near a rock formation. She carefully looked up and saw several arrancars running her way.

They appeared to be looking for something, but got distracted as one of them spoke up, "Ah damn…where did Ichigo run off to? I wanted to ask him about training!" The hollow that spoke, had black pigtails and a somewhat revealing white outfit. It consisted of a short white miniskirt, and a stomach exposing top that barely covered the chest. Soifon couldn't help but find it slutty as she noticed the long black boots worn with it.

'_Are they arrancars?_' Soifon wondered as she quieted her breathing and opened her ears. The other two were dressed less provocatively, but somewhat similar with white hakama pants. Both of their tops revealed a good amount of cleavage and showed the skin of their oblique curves. '_Hollows wearing white…they're going all out to oppose us aren't they?_' Soifon thought distastefully.

The blonde arrancar girl shook her head and sighed, "I thought Ichigo was with Aizen. I could have sworn they went this way."

Soifon wasn't sure she heard the comment right, '_Ichigo and Aizen!? I wonder where they are? Spying on them would be the most ideal use of my time here._'

"Get a grip, Loly…we can't always depend on him for everything. Besides, wouldn't Ichigo be more impressed if we improved without his help?" the third Arrancar replied.

The one with the black pigtails crossed her arms, "Apacci…that's not the point. Training with Ichigo has always been OUR thing. Now everyone's trying to hog him. Even the Shinigami won't leave him alone."

"I don't mind him being around Aizen, but what's with all the other arrancars wanting to spend so much time with Ichigo all of a sudden? What's that all about? Like that stupid Lilynette girl or Harribel's followers…" Apacci asked.

Menoly frowned, "I don't know, but it's annoying. Between them and that Neliel…there's too many people trying to earn his favor. We've been following him the longest…but now it's like we're not even allowed near him. I mean does Nel really have the most favor with Ichigo right now? He did hug her back…plus he defended her to Grimmjow. There's something going on there…"

"Screw Nel! Can you believe the way she was trying to get Ichigo's attention!? I mean hugging him?! Who does something like that?! She thinks she's the top bitch around here and can just waltz right in and interrupt our time with Ichigo?!" Loly spat.

Menoly shrugged, "She certainly proved her point…between her looks and actions, she'll be hard to outdo."

"Her looks?! You think she looks good?" Apacci asked.

Menoly nodded somewhat shamefully, "I'd hate to admit it, but yeah…not to mention Ichigo seems to have some kind of bond with her. I don't like the idea of that…"

"Me neither…it makes my blood boil watching all these other arrancars fawn over Ichigo. Nel better watch her back. She might be stronger than us, but I'm not about to let her wrap Ichigo around her finger," Loly announced.

"Besides Neliel…now it seems even Harribel's followers are moving in. Can you believe that damn Mila rose?! She thinks just because she's got a big chest that Ichigo will like her!" Apacci growled.

"I wonder what Ichigo would have said…about who was the prettiest?" Menoly wondered.

'_Are these really hollows? They're acting like a bunch of jealous, gossiping school girls. Though based on how they're dressed…maybe that's not far off_,' Soifon thought incredulously.

Apacci sighed heavily, "He probably would have said Harribel…she's the best looking in my opinion. We're doomed to be sidelined forever if she starts vying for Ichigo's favor. She's the strongest female in Hueco Mundo."

"At least she's tolerable…besides Harribel doesn't really seem as annoying as some of these other bitches around here. I respect her for giving everyone space," Loly added.

"Do either of you know what the deal with Ichigo and Ulquiorra is? I mean like…why's Ulquiorra always around him? I tried to visit Ichigo's room while he was asleep, and Ulquiorra was there. He just shooed me away like I was a pest. Who is he to keep me from Ichigo?" Apacci said in annoyance.

"Why would you need to be in Ichigo's room in the first place?" Loly asked threateningly.

Apacci crossed her arms, "He's my master…I can visit him whenever I want."

"He's our master…don't be selfish, Apacci," Menoly protested.

"Who knows…maybe Ulquiorra just wants to make sure those Shinigami don't try anything stupid. I mean I feel kind of better knowing that Ulquiorra is guarding Ichigo when we're not around," Loly stated.

"Why would Ichigo need to be guarded? You really think any of those Shinigami would be stupid enough to attack him? All I'm saying is that it's weird." Apacci shook her head.

"It's not weirder than us wanting to be around Ichigo…besides didn't Ichigo meet Ulquiorra as a Vasto Lorde? The guy didn't have a mouth for a long time…he probably just likes Ichigo's company." Menoly cut in.

Apacci looked away jealously, "Well good for him…but so do I!"

"So what you're saying is you don't like Ulquiorra being around Ichigo?" Menoly asked.

Apacci glared at her, "No! It's not like that…I mean I don't have a problem with Ulquiorra. It's just…well we haven't had any alone time with Ichigo ever since all of this happened. I miss it when Ichigo would just talk and hang out with us. Why don't we have a special bond with him?"

'_Alone time? Special bond? Just what the hell are these hollows talking about?!_' Soifon wondered slightly shocked by the context of the statement. '_I didn't realize hollows were capable of such behavior. These three must be White's servants I'd wager. It's strange…they seem to have some kind of weird affection for him. This is bizarre behavior for hollows…do all arrancars act this human?_'

Apacci sighed as she looked into the distance, "I don't know about you two, but I feel strange whenever I'm around Ichigo. Ever since I got this body…I don't know. I just feel different whenever he's not around."

"Different? What do you mean?" Menoly asked.

Apacci frowned, "I don't know…empty I guess. It's hard to explain."

"Trust me…if anyone gets it, we do," Loly nodded in understanding.

Menoly seemed deep in thought, "Yeah I can see where you're coming from. It hardly seems fair that we're not as close to Ichigo as we thought."

Soifon watched their conversation with an unusual curiosity, '_I didn't know hollows were capable of romantic feelings_. _Though…if Arrancars are capable of emotional attachments then it may be a useful way to exploit them in war. Still…I've heard enough out of these three._'

The captain carefully snuck past the three arrancars as she made her way closer towards Las Noches. The Stealth Force leader made considerable progress in short time as she closed in on the outer wall of the palace. Looking up at it, Soifon gasped, '_This building must be larger than the Seireitei! How the hell am I supposed to find anything in here?_'

Her mental question was quickly answered as a patrol of arrancars came walking by. They spoke freely much to her approval. "King White's something else…how could he just let those Shinigami walk around Las Noches like nothing?" One of them asked.

The other shrugged, "Beats me…but I'm not about to question anything he does. White's got every former Vasto Lorde eating out of the palm of his hand. That kind of supremacy demands respect."

"Obviously…I would never doubt White's right to rule, but I just don't understand why he allowed Shinigami captains to join us. Doesn't he despise Shinigami?" one of the arrancars asked.

"Well that Aizen guy did tell him about the Hogyoku…I mean would you have turned down an offer like that if you were in his position? He turned us all into arrancars too. Surely you can't deny the benefit of it? Our High King has a great vision," the other arrancar replied admirably.

Soifon didn't get to hear the rest of their conversation as they were now out of range. She cautiously bolted down the massive hallway like entrance of Las Noches and dove behind corners trying to find a good place to watch enemy activity.

She did this for quite a while and eventually found herself much deeper in the palace. Landing behind a dark pillar in a massive room, she briefly looked around to make sure nobody was coming. Much to her curiosity she spotted a busty, blonde woman with revealing white attire walking down the massive chamber. The blonde woman had the lower half of her face covered, but upon closer inspection, Soifon spotted a mask fragment underneath the high collar. To her sides were two other arrancars, that were noticeably female. One had olive, shoulder length hair and a strange flowing dress, whilst the other was dressed in a provocative amazonian manner.

The raven haired captain carefully held her breath as Harribel stopped in her tracks. The blonde looked around the room curiously. Soifon immediately felt worried as the arrancar's green eyes shifted in the general vicinity of her hiding spot. '_Damn! Can she sense me?! That damned Urahara better have been right about this cloak. Otherwise I'm screwed!_' Soifon thought concerned.

Luckily Harribel didn't seem to notice her as the blonde looked forward again. Two other arrancars quickly voiced their confusion. "Lady Harribel? What is it? Why did you stop?" the skimpily dressed one asked.

The blonde arrancar shrugged, "It's nothing…I just thought I heard something."

"You're clearly tired, mistress. Perhaps you should get some rest?" the other suggested.

Harribel shook her head, "No…I need to train for this war. White is counting on the Espada to do their part. Besides…we will need more power if we're to stand a chance against every Shinigami Captain and their bankais."

"Where did Ichigo even go?" Mila Rose asked curiously.

"Likely to train…I imagine all of the Espada are doing the same," Harribel answered.

'_Espada?! What is that?_' Soifon wondered perplexed as the three arrancars continued on their way.

She stared at Harribel curiously and saw a three engraved into the back of the arrancar's hands. '_So she's Harribel? That trio from earlier wasn't kidding. She's beautiful for a hollow…I wonder what that three on her hands is though?_'

Moving further along, Soifon traversed deeper and deeper into Las Noches. Along the way she managed to pick up a decent amount of passing gossip from the lesser arrancars. Many of them seemed to be talking about the Espada.

From the bits of information she was able to gather, Soifon learned that the Espada were the ten strongest Arrancars and the official leaders of Hueco Mundo. She also confirmed the information from earlier that the building they were in was indeed known as Las Noches.

She carefully snuck around and did her best to locate any shred of news on where Ichigo and Aizen were. After a good amount of espionage, she learned that Ichigo and Aizen were far out in Hueco Mundo so that they wouldn't damage Las Noches with their training.

She spent the next several hours sneaking out of the palace and back outside. The captain nervously sprinted through the open sand dunes as she distanced herself from Las Noches. Part of her felt paranoid that she would be spotted, but thankfully the ugly cloak provided by Urahara matched the color of the sands making her less noticeable.

'_Where the hell are they anyways?! You'd think I would be able to sense a hollow as strong as White…_' Soifon thought annoyed.

However, much to her surprise, she caught a lucky break as a colossal surge of red power lit up the horizon. Soifon's eyes widened, '_That looks like White's Cero…maybe they're over there!_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Silbern, Wandenreich XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The past day had been quite an ordeal for Yuzu. The training she received from Bazz B was vastly different than what she learned from Uryu and his father. Instead of typical speed training and marksmanship training, Bazz B seemed intent on teaching her how to fight in actual combat. They had spent the majority of the past day training until she could no longer go on.

Yuzu collapsed from exhaustion as she finished her last training battle with Bazz B. Before she could hit the ground, the Mohawk Quincy caught her and helped Yuzu to her feet. He looked down at her somewhat stoically, "Don't fall over on me yet…we're not done training for another few hours."

The teenager panted heavily as she held onto Bazz B trying to keep her balance, "T-that's easy for you to say…I-I'm exhausted."

"C'mon, absorb the nearby Reishi…revitalize your stamina. If you don't want to be a target around here, then you have to stay strong," Bazz B reassured her.

The girl reluctantly let go of him as she wobbled on her feet, barely maintaining balance. He smiled slightly as a faint blue glow gathered around her body slowly replenishing her energy. Afterwards, Yuzu took a deep breath and stared at Bazz B uncertainly, "Bazz B-sama…umm, what's next?"

"Don't call me sama or whatever the hell that shit is…it's just Bazz B. Umm…let me think. We did target practice; you're pretty good at that. We did reishi manipulation…check. And we sparred for a few hours. I guess the next order of business is teaching you about blut," Bazz B replied.

"Umm…Bazz B, do you mind if I ask you some stuff?" Yuzu asked carefully.

The man gave her a careless shrug, "Go ahead, Kurosaki…I'm sure you're probably confused about a lot of stuff still. We haven't talked much since training started have we?"

"Why did you help me? What do you get out of training somebody like me? Who am I to you?" Yuzu wondered.

The hot headed Quincy looked at her as if offended, "You think I would just let some innocent, naïve teenage girl wander around here without a clue? The moment I saw Candice moving in on you, I knew what was up. I'll tell ya…this place changes people. Nobody who enters the Wandenreich ever leaves the same person they once were. This place is full of sickos who would love nothing more than to take advantage of you."

"What would Bambietta have done to me?" Yuzu questioned worried.

Bazz B shook his head, "Hell if I know…she's a sick bitch. Though I'm pretty sure you caught onto that fairly quickly. That whole female gang of hers are a bunch of sadistic, psychopathic wackjobs. Bambietta likes to kill and torture people for fun. Giselle's a weird freak who gets off on controlling and manipulating others. Meninas seems stupid, but she's probably one of the smartest in their group. She's hard to understand. Liltotto on the other hand, is the only halfway decent Sternritter in their gang. She's the smartest and the least annoying."

"What about Candice?" Yuzu wondered, "you didn't mention her."

"Candice is probably worse than Bambietta and Giselle combined…though she's a lot better at hiding it. Don't trust her," Bazz B warned.

Yuzu shook her head confused, "How is she worse?"

"She brought you here didn't she? Don't let her 'big sister' act fool you. Candice is a lot like Bambietta but with Giselle's innocent act sprinkled on top. You should try and ask her personal questions tomorrow and see how she reacts. It'll prove my point. Also, don't listen to the stupid bullshit their group likes to spout off," Bazz B replied as he looked up at the sky disgusted by the thought of Bambietta's clique.

"Bambietta and Giselle said some weird things about Ichigo…" Yuzu trailed off somewhat horrified.

"I wouldn't doubt it…they're a bunch of crazy whores. Trust me when I say, that you're better off not associating with them," Bazz B explained.

A third voice quickly interrupted their conversation, "What's that about me being a whore?"

Bazz B immediately tensed up as he noticed Liltotto standing there. The short blonde Quincy stared at him somewhat curiously, "I didn't realize you thought so highly of me, Bazz B. Am I really your favorite person out of Bambietta's gang?"

"When the fuck did you get here? Get lost…" Bazz B said threateningly.

Liltotto rolled her eyes at Bazz B's demeanor, "Chill out will you? You're not fooling me with that tough guy act."

The man reluctantly calmed down as he gave her a curious stare, "So what do you want?"

"I just wanted to apologize to Yuzu on Bambietta and Giselle's behalf. What they did was uncalled for…I think they just get off on messing with innocent people. For the record…I wouldn't have let them do anything to you. Even without Haschwalth's orders…" Liltotto stated.

Yuzu seemed surprised by the short blonde's gesture, "Thank you then…"

"Speaking of Jugo…where is he right now? Did he tell Yhwach know about the hollow king yet?" Bazz B asked curiously.

Liltotto shrugged, "I think Yhwach is sleeping right now. Haschwalth is watching his chamber…"

"Yhwach-sama sleeps?" Yuzu couldn't help but ask. Somehow the idea of the creepy, Quincy leader sleeping seemed impossible to her due to the man's otherworldly aura.

"So how's your training been going with, Yuzu?" Liltotto changed the subject.

Bazz B looked at the girl somewhat uncertainly, "Hard to say for sure…she's a good marksman, but is lacking in combat experience. I was about to teach her blut."

"Interesting…I can help with that if you want," Liltotto suggested.

Bazz B crossed his arms, "What's the big idea hanging out with me all of a sudden? We're working here, Liltotto…"

"I won't get in your way, dude…I'm not Candice. Plus, I figure you're not really good at this teaching thing are you?" the blonde asked.

"Uh…" Bazz B looked at Yuzu for confirmation as to whether or not he was teaching her properly.

The Kurosaki teen smiled reassuringly, "Bazz B is very helpful…he's tough, but patient. You're a lot like Ichigo."

Both Sternritters stared at her surprised by the remark. Bazz B cocked his head, "I'm like your brother?"

"No wonder she ran behind you the first chance she got…" Liltotto muttered, "Bambietta might not have been far off."

"What do you mean?" Yuzu asked.

"Who cares what she means…let's get back to training. Alright now, I'm going to teach you about blut, Kurosaki. It's a very useful Quincy ability that can very well safe your life. Blut comes in two varieties. There's Blut Vene and Blut Arterie. The former is a purely defensive ability and the other offensive," Bazz B explained.

"How does one use this ability?" Yuzu asked interested.

Liltotto answered before Bazz B got the chance, "Pure-blooded Quincies can naturally do it, but others can acquire it through training. Since you're not pure-blooded, it may take some training for you to get the hang of it. To start, you focus Reishi into your blood vessels like so."

Yuzu watched with amazement as a blue grid like pattern covered Liltotto's arm. Bazz B pointed a finger at the blonde loli's arm, "Burner Finger One."

A fiery stream of molten fire in the shape of a narrow beam shot towards Liltotto's arm. The blonde quickly jerked her hand out of its path after a few seconds of contact, "Ow! Damn Bazz B…you can warn me next time you want to demonstrate."

"Your arm…it's okay?" Yuzu noticed as the blue grid like pattern receded revealing no fire damage to Liltotto's arm.

The blonde rubbed her forearm annoyed, "For now I guess…"

"How did you do that just now? That burner finger attack looks powerful," Yuzu said admirably.

Before Bazz B could take pride in his ability, Liltotto shook her head, "It's his main ability. All Sternritters have specialized powers and a letter called a Schrift. Bazz B's letter is H for the Heat. You won't be able to replicate his powers."

"Really? All Sternritters have special letters and powers? What are yours, Liltotto?" Yuzu couldn't help but ask.

The blonde traded a brief look with Bazz B before answering, "I'm G for the Glutton…I can eat things many times my size."

"I don't understand…" Yuzu said uncertainly.

Liltotto crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall, "Hopefully you never have to…it's less than pretty."

"What about the others then? What can all of them do?" the teenager's curiosity continued.

"Bambietta is E for the Explode. She can blow things up with specialized Reishi bombs. Meninas is P for the Power. She's got superhuman strength and fortitude. Candice is T for the Thunderbolt…as you can imagine her powers are mostly lightning based. Giselle is Z for the Zombie…I'm pretty sure that is self-explanatory. As for some of the others, I'm sure you'll figure it all out eventually. Though it's probably worth knowing that Haschwalth is B for Balance and Yhwach is A for the Almighty," Liltotto concluded.

"Sternritters sound very powerful…" Yuzu noted somewhat intimidated by the idea of Bambietta blowing things up and Giselle creepily walking towards her as a zombie.

"Well, you should probably get some sleep Yuzu…" Liltotto suggested as she lightly pushed Yuzu along, "Bazz B and I need to talk."

"Umm…" Yuzu looked at the man as if waiting on his permission. He simply waved her off, "Head straight to your room, and don't talk to anyone. Candice will probably come wake you up tomorrow. Next time we'll work on teaching you more about blut."

"O-okay…thanks again, Bazz B," Yuzu waved before skittishly making her way back inside of the ice palace.

After she was gone, Liltotto turned back and stared at Bazz B, "It might not be a good idea to get too attached to her, Bazz B…there's no telling what Yhwach has planned for Yuzu."

"I aint getting attached…I'm just giving her a fighting chance. You know as well as I do, that she won't last another week unless she toughens up," he replied.

Liltotto sighed, "I know you're not doing this out of the kindness of your heart…"

"So what? You have something you want to say to me?" Bazz B asked threateningly.

The blonde loli crossed her arms, "Most people around here might be stupid, but I'm certainly not. You should tread lightly, Bazz B before something bad happens."

"If something bad did happen…where would you be?" he asked curiously.

The blonde shrugged, "That depends on a lot of factors…I will always make the logical choice."

"Good to know…" the man chuckled.

Before their conversation could continue, a third figure landed nearby. Both Quincies looked up surprised to see somebody they were not expecting. Bazz B cocked his head confused, "Giselle?!"

"Awww, Bazzy-kun, what are you and Lil-chan doing out here?" Giselle asked in an overly cutesy way.

"Liltotto and I just happened to run into each other. I was just leaving, actually. See ya later bitches," he replied callously.

Giselle giggled at his remark, "Haha, don't leave on my account, Bazzy-kun…we never get to hang out together."

"Hopefully we never will...also don't call me Bazzy-kun…It's Bazz B. I don't go around calling you Gigi like one of your little girlfriends," the man scoffed at her.

Giselle gave him a playful grin, "We could be friends…but you're always so scary and mean. What did I ever do to you? Or didn't do? Is there anything I can do to build our friendship?"

Liltotto face-palmed at the display, and Bazz B simply rolled his eyes. He rubbed a hand through his Mohawk before replying, "Stop playing innocent, Giselle…you're not fooling me with this shit. You know damn well why I hate your guts,"

"Hate is such a strong word…you really have to care about something in order to hate it," Giselle stated. Her eyes lit up in surprise upon saying it, "That must mean…you actually like me then?! Ha! Bazzy-kun, likes me!"

"Excuse me, while I go kill myself…" the man grunted as he pushed past Giselle and made his way back into the Silbern.

After he was gone, Liltotto shook her head at Giselle, "You really like getting under people's skin don't you?"

"I didn't know you and Bazzy-kun were on good terms…" Giselle said slightly more serious now.

Liltotto glared at Giselle seriously, "We're not…you didn't see anything. Got that?"

"Hmm...maybe I did...maybe I didn't." Giselle replied.

"What are you doing out here, anyway, Giselle?" Liltotto asked carefully.

The zombie Quincy brought a finger to her lip and looked up with an oblivious dumb smile on her face, "Let me think...Oh yeah! I wanted to tell you something!"

"What's that?" the blonde took a step back as if she anticipated what was about to happen.

Giselle smiled with enthusiasm, "I am going to train Yuzu!"

'_What?_' Liltotto thought bewildered as she stared dumbfounded. The loli gave the dark haired Quincy a questioning gaze, "Who authorized that...and why?"

Right as the blonde let her guard down, Giselle leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "I did...you won't tell anyone will you? A secret for a secret? Or maybe Bambietta would like to know about you and Bazz B hanging out together..."

"Do whatever you want...just keep your mouth shut," Liltotto sighed, "it's not really my problem anyways."

Giselle grinned happily as she hugged the blonde Sternritter, "Aww! You're the best, Liltotto!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alright, kids…there's chapter 14 for you. I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I've been busy with work and stuff. Anyways, let's go on to the summary. A lot of things happened this chapter…the Visoreds got reinstated into the Soul Society. That's bound to give the Shinigami a much needed power boost for the upcoming war. We saw some new arrivals this chapter that I'm sure many of you have been waiting for. Yoruichi made her debut! What do I have planned there? A lot!

Moving on…Soifon actually infiltrated Hueco Mundo to spy on the hollows. How will she react to seeing Ichigo and Aizen training next chapter? What's going to happen? Are you ready for it? Are you really? What does Urahara have planned?

We caught up on some of the Sternritters this chapter…primarily Bazz B and Liltotto. Giselle's trolling as usual. Will she actually train Yuzu? How will Yuzu's training with Candice go? Will she get a Shrift? You'll have to wait and see…

Overall, this wasn't much of an eventful chapter, but some important stuff happened. Next chapter will be much more exciting…it'll probably focus on the hollows mostly as well as Yuzu's training with Candice. Thanks for reading.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Training For War**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Silbern, Wandenreich XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yuzu tossed and turned in her bed as she thought about recent events. She had barely gotten any sleep all night. Though considering her situation and the revelation of Ichigo being alive…who could blame her? The Kurosaki girl sat up in her bed finally giving up on getting any more rest as she looked around the room. She was still in the uniform that Candice provided for her. She didn't even get the chance to find something to change into the night before, due to her weariness.

Yuzu thought deeply about her father, Karin, and Ichigo. The idea of them meeting as enemies in some kind of strange supernatural war seemed tragic to her. Her mind couldn't erase the image of Ichigo as a hollow from Bambietta's recording. He was so different now…was Ichigo really the same Onii-chan that she cherished in the past?

She didn't know much about hollows still, but Yuzu knew enough to understand that they were dangerous and powerful creatures. To be the King of them could only mean that Ichigo had to become strong and ruthless. The idea of seeing Ichigo in this manner was hard for her to accept, but Yuzu pushed it aside as she thought about the most important fact. Ichigo was alive…in some manner, and she wanted to see him again.

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard the sound of her door opening. She expected it to be Candice like Bazz B had stated the night before, but much to her horror it wasn't. As the door slowly creaked open, Yuzu saw Giselle enter.

She immediately felt her heart skip a beat as the Zombie Quincy closed the door behind her smiling wickedly. The dark haired woman spoke warmly, "It's almost morning Yuzu-chan…did you have trouble sleeping?"

"Yes, I didn't sleep very well…" Yuzu replied somewhat skittishly as she tried to determine the best possible escape route. She cautiously got out of her bed and moved to a more open area with as much subtlety as possible.

Giselle slowly made her way closer, "Ah, that really is a shame. I hate it when I can't sleep."

"Uh, really? You have trouble sleeping?" Yuzu asked hoping it would slow Giselle's creeping advance.

The Sternritter nodded, "Yeah, I don't like to sleep by myself. Being alone can be kind of scary in a place like this."

"Scary?" Yuzu continued questioning, "What could possibly scare you? You don't look like the kind of person to be afraid of…things."

Giselle finally stopped in her tracks as she cocked her head at Yuzu, "Haha! What are you saying silly? Are you implying I'm incapable of such things?"

"I-I don't know…" Yuzu replied slowly. She wasn't sure how to respond to Giselle's question.

"What makes you think you're any different than I am other than the fact that you have no idea where you are and why you're here?" Giselle asked with a distant tone.

Yuzu kept her eyes pinned on Giselle ready for any sudden movement. She didn't reply much to the woman's disappointment.

The dark haired Sternritter shook her head as her voice got more serious, "People like me have more fears than blissfully ignorant people like you…"

Her shift in tone frightened Yuzu slightly as Giselle now had an almost emotionless look in her eyes.

"What do you want from me? Why are you here? I'm sorry." Yuzu said with a clearly disturbed tone of voice.

Giselle shrugged and shifted back to a peppy tone, "Oh don't go assuming I'm terrible…you and I could be friends. I think you got the wrong impression about who you should really associate with here. Bambi-chan is normally not that mean. I think she's just worried about Ichigo-sama. We're not really as bad as Bazz B says."

"Bazz B told me to stay away from you and Bambietta…and Candice. There's definitely a reason to listen to him," Yuzu replied.

"Well maybe I can see why he wouldn't want Bambi-chan or Candy-chan near you. They're a bit vulgar and sadistic…but I'm a saint!" Giselle said cheerily as she made a ring with her fingers to emphasize a halo and held it over her head.

The gesture seemed to indicate that Giselle did not take the comment very seriously.

"So, you're Sternritter power is Zombies?" Yuzu changed the subject hoping to keep Giselle distracted.

Giselle's eyes widened slightly, "Who told you? Bazzy-kun or Lil-chan? Yep…that's my Schrift. Z for the Zombie. So, don't die…or I might make you one. Then you'd have to do everything I say."

Yuzu gave her a horrified look in response, "D-die? Is something going to kill me here?"

The Quincy took a step closer towards Yuzu and grabbed a handful of her hair. She leaned in closely towards the girl and whispered in her ear, "Yeah that's right…you'll die if you do anything stupid around here. You're naïve and assume the obvious threat is the real one. I'm not the one you should be afraid of…Yhwach is the one you should really fear. He's always watching. He'll be calling you soon…after he wakes up. Keep your guard up when he summons you, and don't take everything at face value, Yuzu-chan. Nothing is what it seems here."

"Stop it," Yuzu trembled somewhat alarmed by what Giselle was trying to say.

The Sternritter paused for a moment before continuing, "You think I don't have fears? You're dead wrong. You wanna know what I'm most afraid of Yuzu-chan?"

"No I don't…please let go of me," the girl said softly as she tried to push Giselle back. Unfortunately it was ineffective.

"Not yet…you're not listening to me. Stop looking away…" Giselle whispered somewhat annoyed as she turned Yuzu's face towards her forcing the girl to look her in the eye. "I'm trying to tell you something. Don't-" Giselle whispered.

"Let go of me!" Yuzu interrupted as she pushed Giselle back. Upon doing so, she accidentally launched a strong blast of Reishi at the Sternritter. It wasn't damaging, but it did manage to knock Giselle into a wall. The dark haired woman stood up slowly and turned to face Yuzu. The Kurosaki teen half expected Giselle to be super angry and creepy, but much to her surprise, she wasn't.

Giselle was cheerful again as she laughed at Yuzu's action, "Hey now, Yuzu-chan, don't be so rough with me. You're gonna get brutish if you spend too much time around Bazzy-kun and Candy-chan."

'_What's wrong with her? Does she have a split personality or something? Some of those things she said…what did they mean?_' Yuzu thought curiously.

"So…how did your training with Bazzy-kun go?" Giselle asked curiously. The Sternritter already knew the answer, but she wanted to alleviate some of the tension.

Yuzu looked away nervously, "Well, Bazz B taught me a lot of useful things. He seems like a scary guy, but he's really nice."

"He's a bleeding heart and an open book," Giselle muttered under her breath before laughing, "Cool! So how would you like me to train you too?"

"Umm…" Yuzu immediately tensed up fearfully at the idea. The very thought of it sent a shiver down her spine that Giselle of all people would even suggest it. Especially after the position she was just in, Yuzu was not in favor of the offer. She immediately looked down avoiding Giselle's gaze.

"Now now…don't be shy! I can teach you lots of neat stuff that Bazzy-kun and Candy-chan can't!" Giselle said convincingly.

Before Yuzu could respond, her door came flying open as the furious lime haired Candice came strutting in. The woman gave Giselle a serious glare, "Gigi, what the fuck are you doing in her room?! I thought I told you to back off!"

"Haha, Candy-chan, I wasn't going to do anything to her. I actually wanted to help you train Yuzu-chan," the Zombie Quincy said hopefully.

Candice rose a brow as she crossed her arms, "Come again? You want to do what?! What's the sudden interest?"

"Well, she really likes Bazzy-kun, so I thought we could work out our differences if I helped her train as well," Giselle explained in a very well-rehearsed way.

"Ugh…I guess you can watch and give her pointers, but only if I'm around. Don't go bothering Yuzu when she's by herself…it looks suspicious," Candice said sharply.

Giselle gave Candice a comical salute, "Of course, Candy-chan!"

Candice rolled her eyes at Giselle before looking at Yuzu curiously, '_What's with that look on her face? What the hell did Giselle say to her?_'

"C'mon, Yuzu…let's go continue your training. I'm sure Bazz B was ineffective and overbearing. Don't worry…I'll make sure to teach you the correct way," Candice stated.

"Actually…Bazz B was very helpful," Yuzu replied.

Candice gave her a deadly stare, "Was he now? Well let's hope you see the difference between his training and my training by the end of the day."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Silbern, Wandenreich Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yuzu's morning training with Candice had been surprisingly informative. Unlike Bazz B, Candice was much more technical in her teachings and made sure to break down the details of every ability that she learned. Most of their time had been spent working on Blut Vene however.

Candice shook her head, "Hmm…no that's not it. You're focusing too much on the reishi and not your blood itself."

"I don't understand…I did it like you said," Yuzu replied.

"Let me explain, Candy-chan, I'm better at blut than you are," Giselle cut into the conversation. She had been watching from the sidelines most of the morning.

Candice rose a brow uncertainly, "What makes you think you can teach her blut better than I can?"

Giselle gave Candice a comical look and giggled, "You're not really asking me that are you?"

"Fine…let's see how good your explanation is," Candice shot back.

"Your training's gonna have to continue later…Yhwach has called for an assembly," Bambietta's voice came out of nowhere.

Everyone looked over surprised to see the dark haired Sternritter standing nearby. She had a bored, careless expression on her face as she waved the others over, "Hurry up…Haschwalth sent me to get everyone who wasn't there yet."

"Ugh…another assembly already?" Candice protested.

"It must be about Ichigo-sama and the hollows," Giselle said hopefully.

Yuzu visibly tensed at the mention, but did her best to push her concern aside for the time being. Reluctantly, she followed Candice and Bambietta back towards the palace. Giselle trailed behind them, and Yuzu couldn't help but glance back every couple of seconds to make sure she was keeping her distance.

As they made their way towards the main chamber, Yuzu started to reflect on some of the things Giselle said to her, '_The obvious threat isn't the real one? I wonder what she meant by that? I must be in more danger than I thought. What was Giselle trying to tell me? Who shouldn't I trust? She said she was afraid of Yhwach too? I wonder why?'_

Candice fell behind Yuzu during her inner contemplation and grabbed Giselle's arm, preventing her from going forward. Yuzu absentmindedly continued following Bambietta as the two Sternritters fell back.

Once Yuzu and Bambietta were out of range, Candice gave Giselle a deadly glare, "What's with you, Giselle? You're acting weirder than usual."

"Oh Candy-chan, please don't be mad. I just want to help," Giselle said innocently.

Candice narrowed her gaze before grabbing Giselle by the coat and holding her threateningly. The lime haired Sternritter glared intently, "For your sake, you better hope that's all it is. That girl is an asset to us. Yhwach personally sent me to get her…I didn't know why until just recently. Even Haschwalth didn't know who she was. Since she's really the Hollow King's sister, then her presence is invaluable. She's probably going to be instrumental in conquering Hueco Mundo once they make her a Sternritter. I take her training very seriously. So if you intend to help, then you better straighten your act up."

"Oh! That'd be great! Then she really could be one of us," Giselle replied cheerily.

"You've been acting strange ever since you got back from Hueco Mundo…mind yourself, Gigi. I'd hate if anything bad happened to you," Candice warned before turning to leave.

Meanwhile, further away, Yuzu just now realized that she was alone with Bambietta. She cautiously looked back and confirmed that neither Candice nor Giselle were there.

She fearfully tried to remain quiet about the situation, but Bambietta quickly noticed as well. The dark haired woman glanced behind Yuzu and sighed, "Damn it…where did those two go?"

"I don't know…" Yuzu answered somewhat nervously. She wasn't entirely sure if Bambietta was asking her or thinking aloud. Yuzu felt entirely uncomfortable being alone with this mentally unstable woman.

The Sternritter simply shrugged, "Whatever…they'll show up. So how has your training been going, Yuzu-chan?"

The Kurosaki teen was slightly alarmed by Bambietta addressing her directly now. Though thankfully she didn't detect any malicious undertones in the woman's voice.

Yuzu calmly answered, "It went well with Bazz B. He is a good teacher. I've only been doing Blut training with Candice today."

"Oh really? What did Bazz B teach you?" Bambietta asked casually. Her current mood seemed much more relaxed than the other day much to Yuzu's surprise. It was quite the change of pace, but she wasn't about to complain.

"I learned more about Reishi manipulation, did target practice, and I learned a little bit about Blut," Yuzu replied.

Bambietta chuckled, "If you really want to get good at Blut, then Gigi is the one you want to talk to. She's not the most powerful Quincy around, but she's versatile and an expert on stuff like that. You'd be better suited learning from her than people like Candice or Bazz B. They're more single-minded powerhouses than anything."

Yuzu said nothing in response as the two continued walking. A few moments of silence passed before Bambietta spoke again, "I think Yhwach wants to make you a Sternritter. How do you feel about that?"

She wasn't entirely sure how to react to Bambietta's question and looked away uncertainly, "I don't know…Sternritters are all so powerful with their Schrifts. Does he intend on giving me one? How does that work exactly?"

The dark haired woman seemed slightly surprised that Yuzu knew what a Schrift was. Bambietta nodded her head, "I think he'll definitely give you one…though there's no telling what it'll be. Every letter is covered at the moment…but some have multiples like Y.

"Umm…about Ichigo…" Yuzu couldn't quite think of how to talk to Bambietta about the topic.

Luckily the Quincy seemed less hostile than the other day. Bambietta looked at her, "What about him?"

"What does Yhwach-sama think of him?" She finally managed to ask. It seemed strange asking Bambietta this question, but Yuzu was genuinely curious.

"That's what we're about to find out…" Bambietta stated as she made her way into the main chamber.

As Yuzu followed her into the massive assembly room, every pair of eyes turned towards the new arrivals. Yhwach quickly addressed them, "Ah Yuzu Kurosaki, it is good to see you again."

"The others are on their way, you majesty," Bambietta quickly announced before Yhwach had the chance to say anything about it.

He simply nodded as he motioned for Bambietta to take her place in line. Yuzu stood there uncertainly as Yhwach extended his arm, "Come to me…I would like your input on something important."

Yuzu gulped fearfully as she made her way to Yhwach throne like stage. As she approached, Giselle and Candice entered the chamber and took their positions in line. Everyone was too focused on Yuzu and paid their arrival no mind. Upon reaching the stage, Yuzu spotted Uryu standing there confidently in his new uniformed white attire. He quickly eyed her uniform somewhat surprised, "Kurosaki…is that what they have you wearing around here?"

The girl looked away embarrassed, "Umm…Candice gave it to me to wear."

Ignoring their conversation, Yhwach held his arm up causing a massive screen to appear in front of everyone which displayed a picture of Ichigo. All of the lesser ranked Quincies looked on uncertainly, but many of the Sternritters immediately recognized the picture Bambietta took of him.

Yhwach turned around and looked at it for a moment before addressing Yuzu, "You are the sister of this hollow? This…Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Y-yes…" Yuzu answered skittishly. She had no way of knowing how Yhwach was going to react to this news. Much to her surprise, the man simply nodded approvingly.

"As I foresaw…you are indeed related to the hollow king. This is good. With your aid, we can convince the hollow king to help us wipe out the Soul Society. It would seem he has already attacked them once," Yhwach said.

Yuzu immediately paled at the statement, "Y-you knew already?"

"Of course I did, young Yuzu. I sent Candice to retrieve you and young Uryu here because both of you possess unique Quincy attributes. You are immune to Auswahlen for one…but also you are related to Ichigo the king of Hueco Mundo. Your help in securing his aid would be most welcome," Yhwach said with a stern face.

The Kurosaki teen wasn't entirely sure how to react to his statement. She briefly looked away and noticed Uryu with a surprised look on his face. He pushed up his glasses and spoke up for the first time, "Ichigo Kurosaki is the hollow king? That's impossible."

"He's White…the same hollow that attacked you in the park," Yhwach clarified. Uryu wasn't sure what was more alarming to him…the fact that Yhwach knew about that or the fact that Ichigo, his former classmate, was actually that powerful, infamous hollow White.

"That's impossible…how could Ichigo have become a hollow like that then? And that picture of him…aren't hollows supposed to always have masks?" Uryu questioned.

Haschwalth quickly explained for Uryu, "That is what's called an Arrancar. They're hollows with Shinigami powers and human features. They're not very common, and most natural ones originate from powerful Adjuchas or Vasto Lordes."

"What does that mean if he's related to her though? Wouldn't he be part Quincy as well?" Uryu realized completely shocked as he looked over at Yuzu.

"Yes…I have heard many of you gossip about this fact. An arrancar with Quincy blood could prove quite powerful if added to our army. Though he could prove quite the threat if we fail to assert control over Hueco Mundo," Yhwach explained.

"Forgive my interruption your majesty, but should we be worried about the hollows? I mean sure they have a quincy blooded arrancar king, but what kind of fighting force do they honestly have? Arrancars aren't very common, and I highly doubt adjuchas would prove much of a match against Sternritters," a middle aged moustache Quincy asked.

Bambietta immediately sent the man a glare, "Don't dismiss them so easily, Robert…hollows are like moths drawn to a flame. With a hollow as strong as White leading Hueco Mundo, they're far more likely to be organized and cooperative."

"How strong is this hollow, really? I mean he made quick work of your Vollstandig, but is that really anything to be impressed over?" a man with a facial scar and dark hair interjected.

Bambietta glared at him, "I'd like to see you fight him, Cang Du! He probably would have gone all out if his other little hollow friends weren't there."

"And yet you still talk about fighting him again…" Liltotto muttered under her breath.

"Can that hollow use Quincy abilities?" a long dark haired quincy with a spiked mask asked. He had a slender, tall physique and very creepy eyes.

"As Nodt brings up a good point…what kind of things can we expect out of a Quincy blooded arrancar?" Bazz B asked, "I mean we already know he's immune to Giselle's blood…what else can he do?"

"I can feel his Quincy powers…though they are quite repressed. If he manages to awaken them, there would be nothing preventing him from using most Quincy abilities," Yhwach answered.

"Your majesty, would you please allow me to be the one to fight him whenever we invade Hueco Mundo?" Gremmy spoke up enthusiastically.

The Quincy leader shook his head, "No…you would die if you were to fight Ichigo. I would prefer things didn't come to open war with the hollows. Though they are quite deplorable creatures, Arrancars are very useful as I've said before. Dealing with Ichigo is a first priority however."

"I still don't see what the big deal with this Hollow King is anyways…I doubt he could even stand up to the elite Sternritters, let alone Haschwalth or your majesty himself," a darker skinned Quincy with an X shaped eye mark and a sniper rifle stated.

"Lille's right…I don't believe this hollow is as strong as everyone claims it is. Bambietta is hardly a challenge," Kirge added.

"Care to repeat that?!" Bambietta growled.

Yhwach shook his head as he waved his hand causing the screen to display something similar to a video feed. Yuzu had a hard time telling if it was magic or technology.

The Sternritters and lesser Quincies behind them watched the strange display with intense curiosity. It displayed something they assumed was a hollow ability. It was a colossal red and black shaped cross beam that tore through the Seireitei. The outer view of the attack gave every Quincy there an idea of just how massive it actually was.

The video skipped ahead as they saw a massive red cero streak across the sky setting the horizon ablaze. It paused over a picture of Ichigo in his released form with both swords outstretched. Yhwach looked at it seriously, "Ichigo is juggernaut that none of you are a match for…the power he displays here is miniscule compared to what he can actually do."

"So what the are we going to do then? When are we invading Hueco Mundo?" Kirge asked.

Yhwach turned back towards the crowd with a knowing grin, "I was just about to suggest something. Currently, we know that Hueco Mundo is united and powerful under Ichigo's rule, but we do not fully understand the scale of his army. BG9, Kirge, and Nanana…I would like for you three to conduct espionage and gather information on what the hollows are planning."

"Affirmative," BG9 replied robotically. Kirge and Nanana said nothing, but each of them moved over towards BG9, who was already taking his leave.

"After they return we will prepare for our dealings with Hueco Mundo. In the meantime, you may all continue your duties as normal. Dismissed." Yhwach waved.

As everyone dispersed to do their own thing, Yuzu felt Yhwach place a hand on her shoulder. She felt a terrible shiver run down her spine as the Quincy leader looked at her seriously, "You and Uryu will receive your Schrifts tomorrow. I hope we can count on you for the future."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Ichigo and Aizen XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Aizen brushed some sand off of his new, white attire as he gave Ichigo an uncertain look, "Your cero seems to draw upon different powers…the colors are quite interesting."

"Really? Interesting how? Is there some meaning behind the colors?" Ichigo asked as lowered his arm which was still sizzling from a gran rey cero from moments prior.

"Yes…that gran rey cero uses your pure hollow power which is why it is white and red. Though you are capable of black and red ceros as well…do you know what they are?" Aizen asked.

Ichigo thought for a moment, "You know…I'm not really sure. I know the red and black ones are stronger sometimes."

"Try to fire one…a black cero. It's quite a rare ability that only powerful arrancars possess. Black ceros are actually called Cero Oscuras. Normally it would require one to be in their resurreccion to use since it draws upon Shinigami power. Though you might be able to do it in your base form," Aizen stated factually.

"Hmm…Cero Oscuras? So the black spiritual energy is Shinigami power?" Ichigo confirmed.

Aizen nodded, "Precisely…the black color in a Cero Oscuras is when you use Shinigami Power with your Cero. Typically only Espada level arrancars have the ability to produce an attack of such complexity. It differs from the gran rey cero which relies on blood and full hollow powers."

"If only powerful arrancars can create black ceros, then why was I able to do them this entire time even before becoming an arrancar?" Ichigo couldn't help but wonder.

"You possess a strong source of Shinigami power…almost as much as your hollow power. They are both deeply intertwined, making them two sides of the same thing. Try to fire a Cero Oscuras from your left hand and a gran rey cero from the right. Angle them to where they intersect," Aizen instructed.

Ichigo did as requested as he drew some blood on his right hand and held up both. "Try to fire both at the same time and get a feel for how each type of power flows. Once you understand the line between your Shinigami and hollow powers, you will be able to draw upon both at the same time."

It took a few moments, but finally black and red spiritual energy charged over Ichigo's left hand while a jagged white and red cero formed on the right. Channeling the two different ceros at the same time felt strange to Ichigo, but he quickly began to realize what Aizen was talking about. '_I've felt this before…in my fight against Barragan. My hollow and Shinigami powers are two sides of the same spectrum…and I can use it all? Hmm…strange that I never noticed it before._'

Firing both beams simultaneously, Ichigo watched with amazement as they intersected and combined into a red white and black cero. It doubled in size and streaked across the sky with cataclysmic force. A tremendous explosion erupted in the distance causing Ichigo to stare on amazed by the ability.

"That would be a Gran Rey Cero Oscuras. I imagine in your released state it would be an instant kill to anyone short of upper captain level foes," Aizen noted approvingly.

Unbeknownst to both Ichigo and Aizen, Soifon landed nearby and was doing her absolute best to spy on them from maximum range. Pulling out a strange device given to her by Urahara, she placed it over her ears, and could now hear things from much further away.

She squinted hard for a moment before pulling out the spyglass, that Urahara gave her. The Stealth Force Captain looked at the instrument halfway amused, '_I feel like a pirate ninja using one of these things_…_A pirate ninja Shinigami._'

Looking through the scope, she locked her gaze on the two targets of utmost importance to her mission. From what she could tell, they were both having a conversation about something.

'_I need to get closer…there's too much wind interference for this stupid hearing device to pick up what they're saying…_' She thought annoyed. Cautiously and slowly, she crept along as she got within closer range.

Several large rock formations stuck out of the ground nearby. She chose the smallest one which had a concaved vantage point obscured in shadows. Crawling carefully, she pulled out the spyglass again and got a close look at Ichigo and Aizen's faces, through it.

'_Hmm…I didn't really get a good look at White's face last time. Those other hollows talked about him like he's some kind of divine guy. I don't see what the big deal is. I mean what's so attractive about that guy to them anyways? Is it hollow pheromones or something? Maybe they're attracted to his power? It sure as hell can't be his looks…_' Soifon thought as she angled the spyglass to get a perfect view of Ichigo's face.

She stared at him for a long moment, '_What's with that long orange hair? He could give Ukitake and Kuchiki a run for their money in the glamorous hair department. How the hell does he fight with it? I guess there's one benefit to having a hollow mask. Although…I suppose he sort of does look kind of pretty when he doesn't have that mask on. Not really something I'd expect to see out of an alpha hollow like him. He doesn't look anywhere near as intimidating in that base form. His skin is kind of radiant…maybe it's just the moonlight, but it looks pale like he's glowing. Hmm…now that I think about it, he's not half bad looking in this dim moonlight. If it weren't for those creepy eyes or the fact that he was a hollow, then I could sort of see the appeal. Wait…What am I even thinking?! Why should I care how he looks? It won't matter when he's dead. Speaking of dead, there's that traitorous bastard Aizen right there. Look at him standing there all proud of himself. Who knew what a difference not wearing those glasses would make. Aizen looks better without them, but he also looks like an arrogant prick. I wonder what they're talking about?'_

Ichigo looked over at Aizen somewhat surprised, "I can't believe I'm saying this…but thanks. I never really thought about these abilities before. They've always felt so natural, that I guess I figured I didn't need to."

"No need to thank me, Ichigo…I'm sure you would have discovered it for yourself eventually," Aizen nodded.

Ichigo looked over at Aizen before staring at the moon deeply, "You're strange, Sousuke…you know so much about everything. Yet…I don't know anything about you other than the fact that you're a Shinigami Captain. I know you won't tell me everything…but who are you exactly?"

'_They're on a first name basis? That's weird…has anyone ever called Aizen by his given name before?_' Soifon thought somewhat disbelievingly.

"Who am I? Who are you? Who are they? Questions that everyone wants to know…in the end, we are what others perceive us to be. What do you perceive me to be, Ichigo?" the man asked curiously.

The orange haired arrancar shrugged, "I don't know…it's hard to say. I feel as if you know more about me than I do. That bothers me…you're a man of a thousand faces and a thousand secrets."

"And what are you, Ichigo?" Aizen questioned.

"A Hollow…a Shinigami…a Quincy? I don't even know what I am…but you do, don't you? What does it mean to be transcendent?" Ichigo asked distantly.

'_A Quincy?! Transcendent?! Wait a minute…didn't Captain Shiba mention his wife lost powers too?! I assumed she was a Shinigami as well. She was a Quincy?! Is that what the Captain Commander meant when he said that Captain Shiba had former ties to the Quincies?! Does that mean…what the hell is that hollow then?!_' Soifon could barely contain her shock.

Aizen looked at him seriously for a moment and sighed, "Transcendence is breaking the barrier between Hollow, Shinigami, and Quincy. It is like becoming a three dimensional being in a two dimensional world. It is essentially godhood."

"Is that what you're after? I've been wondering something…what are your plans after we kill the Soul King? What will become of our allegiance then? How will this end if we're both transcendent?" the arrancar wondered.

"I would prefer that you and I stay on good terms for the remainder of our lives. When that day finally comes…you will understand everything," Aizen replied vaguely.

Ichigo wasn't surprised by the man's response and simply sighed as he stared back at the moon again. Aizen looked up at it as well.

Soifon's eyes widened in shock as she tried to contemplate what she just heard, '_Did they just say they were going to kill the Soul King?! Are you kidding me?! Have they gone mad? There's no way in hell they could even get to the Royal Palace, let alone defeat the Soul King! Is that what Aizen's plan was all along?! To build a hollow army to overthrow the Soul Society and become transcendent?! He wants to become a god?_'

Her inner rant was cut short as she noticed Ichigo and Aizen both staring at the moon. '_What are they doing? Why are they staring at the moon?_'

"Do you know why the moon is soothing to hollows?" Aizen asked causing Ichigo to look at him curiously.

"No…why is that? I've always liked the moon…it's comforting," Ichigo stated.

"The moon is a reflection of light…a reflection of one's own heart and soul. It symbolizes eternity but also the passing of time. It represents longing and an unfulfilled desire welling up from within. To a hollow…the moon is your unreachable desires. Forever shining above you, and forever out of reach." Aizen said almost poetically.

Ichigo couldn't help but find the description somewhat impressive as he gave Aizen an approving nod, "Yeah…that makes sense. It's like chasing a light down a never-ending dark tunnel. I wonder if I'll ever reach the end…I wonder if I'll ever become whole."

"The end isn't what's important…the tunnel never ends unless one understands what lies beyond it. One day, you will understand. One day you will reach the moon and it will be full just like you." Aizen said deeply.

"Even if I do…I don't want to leave everyone else behind," Ichigo said somewhat sadly, "I can't do that…"

Aizen gave Ichigo a curious look, "I see…do you mind answering a question of mine, Ichigo?"

"Go ahead and ask," Ichigo replied.

The man paused for a moment before asking, "What would you do if you lost all of your power? How would you go on living if at all?"

Ichigo's eyes widened as he gave Aizen a shocked expression, "What are you saying? Is it possible I'm going to?"

"No, nothing like that…I would just like to know, what would you do if your powers were stripped from you? How would you go on living as a fragment of what you once were?" Aizen asked.

The hollow king shook his head deep in thought, "I would try to regain my powers. I'll never accept being powerless, so long as the Soul Society remains a threat, and there are others I have to protect. So long as I want to see the end of the tunnel, to reach the moon, and to be whole…I could never accept anything less. I could never accept being powerless."

"Hmm…" Aizen looked down as he contemplated Ichigo's response, "then you understand…true power is not one's physical strength or spiritual energy…it is the will that drives us to do what we must. Your will is strong, Ichigo…and it is your will that influences the other hollows. They look upon you like the moon in the sky. They fight for you because you're their light. If you fail…they will succumb to darkness, and they will all fail as well. Remember that you carry your desires as well as theirs."

"I won't fail…I can't fail," Ichigo replied with an intense confidence.

Soifon watched the scene with an utterly bizarre reaction, '_What the hell are they talking about over there?! Aizen and White are having a philosophical discussion? I never thought I'd see the day when a hollow and a Shinigami Captain discuss things like this. What's this about a light now?_'

"I want to know more about the Soul Society, if you don't mind my asking. How big is it? What were all of those outer areas? Kaname briefly described them as districts," Ichigo finally changed the subject much to Soifon's relief.

Aizen looked at Ichigo for a moment before nodding his head, "The Soul Society is divided into 80 Rukongai Districts. The lower numbers are safer and closer to the Seireitei, which lies directly in the center. The higher numbers are dangerous, outskirts where lawlessness and poverty run rampant. I believe Kaname was born in one of those slums."

"What about you? Where were you born?" Ichigo asked curiously.

The Shinigami gave Ichigo a blank look, "I was born in the Soul Society a long time ago. The where is not really important. I became a Shinigami because I wanted to put my powers to better use. Though I've only been a captain for about a century."

"Hmm, who was your captain? Was it one of the ones there? Or did he die?" the hollow king seemed more interested in Aizen's past than the captain was expecting.

Aizen chuckled lightly, "Well…let's just say, my former captain was not all that impressive. He didn't die…but I eventually took his place after he was labeled a traitor to the Soul Society."

"I'm guessing you set him up then…" Ichigo automatically assumed.

The brown haired man didn't seem surprised by Ichigo's conclusion, "Yes and no…I used him and several other captains as test subjects for a hollowfication experiment about a century ago. They were all failures, that I assumed were going to die, but a man named Kisuke Urahara found a way to reverse their hollowfication which eventually turned them into what is known as Visoreds."

"Visoreds? What the hell are they?" Ichigo rose a brow.

"They're Shinigami with hollow powers…sort of like arrancars, but less powerful. I wouldn't be surprised if they make an appearance at some point now that I am revealed to be an enemy of the Gotei 13," Aizen concluded.

Ichigo seemed interested in the topic, "Shinigami with hollow powers…is that why you know so much about hollows then? You've been experimenting?"

"I wanted to create an arrancar army…and now I have. Does that make enough sense to you, Ichigo?" Aizen elaborated.

The hollow king nodded, "I get it…so how many of these Visoreds are there anyway? Also…is this Kisuke Urahara guy going to be a problem?"

"There are about seven Visoreds if I remember correctly. None of them are really anything to be concerned with. Urahara, on the other hand, is a man that you should be extremely cautious around. He is very intelligent and extremely dangerous if you underestimate him. I imagine he'll probably have some kind of plan to stop us. He will be one of the Shinigami war potentials that we will need to be wary of," Aizen deduced.

"I need names here…and tell me what these war potentials can do," Ichigo half demanded.

"The Shinigami only really have six foes that you should be concerned with. Captain Commander Genryusai Yamamoto, Fourth Division Captain Yachiru Unohana, Former Tenth Division Captain Isshin Shiba, Former Twelfth Division Captain Kisuke Urahara, Eleventh Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and Twelfth Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Yamamoto is the most powerful and will likely try to fight you himself. Unohana is the second oldest and one of the strongest captains. She is a very dangerous warrior with a variety of different abilities. Isshin Shiba, your father, has the same Getsuga abilities as you do, and his bankai is very powerful. Urahara is a crafty opponent. His true threat lies in his intelligent planning. Kenpachi Zaraki, you've already fought before. As you might have noticed, he gets stronger the longer he fights someone. While he isn't as dangerous as those other three, he would prove a dangerous foe for most of the Espada. Taking him out early would be ideal. The last war potential, Mayuri Kurotsuchi is a lot like Urahara, in that he is more of a strategist. He typically comes up with all of their research experiments and will easily exploit weaknesses if you let him. He's also been working on a Garganta so that the Soul Society could come here directly," Aizen explained thoroughly.

Ichigo thought for moment, "What about the rest of the captains? The white haired one and the pink Kimono one looked like they were strong."

Aizen gave Ichigo a serious stare, "Your Espada would be better suited for dealing with those two."

"Are none of the other captains a threat?" Ichigo wondered.

"No…they are all fodder and trash. They are no match for the upper espada, let alone you or me," Aizen replied.

'_Fodder?! Trash?! Is that what Aizen thinks of me?! That fucking traitorous bastard_!' Soifon fumed mentally.

"Can you list them all for me anyway?" Ichigo requested.

Aizen sighed, "Very well…I'll name off the lesser captains. The Second Division, Captain is a woman named Soifon. Her powers are very unimpressive and I doubt she could even scratch you. Her predecessor was much more impressive in my opinion."

'_Lesser Captains?! Fuck you Aizen! I'm not weak! How could he just bad mouth me so effortlessly like that?! Why does everyone think I'm a pushover?!_' Soifon gritted her teeth furiously.

"The Sixth Division Captain is Byakuya Kuchiki. While he is more impressive than others, he barely held his own against Ulquiorra in Vasto Lorde form. He is intelligent though…I would let one of the middle ranked Espada deal with him. The Seventh Division Captain is Sajin Komamura…he is a beastly looking creature. He tried to attack you during our escape. As you probably remember, he wasn't much of an opponent. The Eighth Division Captain is the one with the pink Kimono, Shunsui Kyouraku. He is strong, but like I said…one of your upper espada can handle him. Same goes for Jushiro Ukitake, the Thirteenth Division Captain with the long white hair. Their abilities can prove annoying…but they are nowhere near as dangerous as the six war potentials that I listed." Aizen continued.

'_Aizen doubts Kyouraku and Ukitake, but he thinks Zaraki is stronger than them? What kind of weird logic is that? And how is Kurotsuchi considered an ace and not me? Also…did he forget to mention Captain Hitsugaya?_' Soifon thought.

"Hmm…what about that short kid with the spiky white hair? He was a captain right?" Ichigo asked as he remembered fighting Toshiro during his encounter with Kenpachi Zaraki.

A very faint grin etched Aizen's face at the mention of the final captain, "Ah him? That would be the captain of the tenth division, Toshiro Hitsugaya…he is fodder. He would likely prove just as useless in a fight against either one of us as Captains Soifon or Komamura. I wouldn't even bother concerning yourself with them."

'_Damn you Aizen! I hate you! I can't wait for the Soul Society to kick your arrogant ass and stomp that smugness right out of you! You guys won't be laughing when I report your plans to the Soul Society! We'll see how useless I am then!_' Soifon thought furiously as she clenched her fists tightly.

"There's something else that's been bothering me…how did my sister become a Shinigami? She was a normal human living in Karakura Town. You say my father brought her there? Tell me the whole story," Ichigo directed a serious question towards Aizen.

The man shook his head in disappointment, "I believe it had something to do with Kisuke Urahara as I mentioned before. He and your father encouraged her to pursue that path. I saw him bring the girl to the Shinigami Academy. Beyond that, I don't really know the specifics of the situation."

"Pfft…I can't believe she got involved in all of this. My father is one thing, but my little sister…I can't fight her. I won't fight her." Ichigo thought angrily.

'_He still cares about his sister? Hmm…that's strange. We might be able to use the girl to prevent him from using any super dangerous area attacks. Though…it'd be kind of heartless to do that. It should only be a last resort,_' Soifon thought.

"She'll only continue to grow in power. How long will it be before she's strong enough to kill your followers? Will you be able to ignore her then?" Aizen asked.

Ichigo grimaced in annoyance, "She better just go home…"

"If it comes down to it, I can persuade her to leave with Kyoka Suigetsu," Aizen said reassuringly.

"Hopefully it won't…" Ichigo trailed off deep in thought.

He immediately shifted his gaze to a strange rocky formation nearby, "I sense something over there…"

Aizen turned his attention towards the rock as well, "Yes…it's very faint, but I do as well. Someone's in the shadows."

'_Oh fuck! They can sense me?! Damn you Urahara and your useless cloak!_' Soifon thought fearfully as she brought the spyglass down tensing up. She immediately put it away and physically prepped herself to sprint away the moment Ichigo or Aizen made a move.

Before either he or Aizen could say another word, they noticed a sneaky silver haired Shinigami come from behind the rock formation. It was none other than Gin Ichimaru. The silver haired foxy man waved at them with a cheery grin, "Hey, I was wondering where you two ran off."

'_How long has he been there?! He's practically right next to me_!' Soifon thought concerned as she very slowly distanced herself and got lower into the shadows.

Ichigo looked at Gin suspiciously, "So it was you, hiding in the shadows over there? You don't have to sneak around…it makes you look suspicious."

"Ahaha, well sorry about that. You and Aizen-sama were having an interesting conversation and I didn't want to interrupt." Gin said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

'_Hmm…so it was him over there?_' Ichigo thought as Gin moved closer. His spiritual pressure was noticeably higher than its normal state much to Ichigo and Aizen's curiosity.

"Ah, Gin…is there something you needed?" Aizen asked.

"I just wanted to see how you two were getting along. How goes the training?" Gin deflected expertly.

"Quite well actually. I was helping Ichigo to understand his cero. We were actually about to spar, if you'd care to watch, Gin," Aizen suggested.

'They were? The hell? I didn't hear anything about them sparring,' Soifon thought incredulously.

Ichigo simply chuckled at the comment, "I wouldn't mind a quick skirmish with you."

The silver haired man beamed at the suggestion, "It'd be an honor to watch you train Aizen-sama. It's been ages since I've seen you do it."

"Keeping track of the days are you?" Aizen said with a slight grin.

Ichigo looked between Gin and Aizen somewhat confused, '_Why is there this strange tension between these two? For close friends, they sure seem kind of fake in their exchanges._'

"Now Ichigo, you command overwhelming power, but you will sometimes be faced with enemies that are very well trained in what is called Kido. I want to demonstrate some of it to you. There are three primary types known as Hado, Bakudo, and Kaido. The first uses offensive based spells, The second one is more battle supportive and suppressive, and the last one is healing based. Many high level Shinigami are experienced in some manner or another with Kido," Aizen stated.

Gin's eyes opened fully as he watched the scene with curiosity, '_Is Aizen really about to try what I think he is?_'

"These Kido spells are ranked from 1 to 99. The higher the number, the more deadly the spell…though a powerful kido user can turn even low level spells into a deadly attack. Yamamoto, Unohana, and Urahara are all experts in Kido. That is something to be aware of," Aizen continued.

'_Aizen's not taking any chances with them is he? I wonder what he has planned for Ichigo? Is that hollow under Kyoka Suigetsu's influence? Neither one of them have said a word about what happened ever since they had that talk down in the Menos Forest. For them to be this agreeable…could Aizen have managed to get Ichigo under his control? No…he couldn't have. Aizen was bleeding when he got back. I wonder what happened? Whatever it was…it certainly affected these two in some way. It's strange how they talk to one another. It's almost as if Aizen trusts him…why?_' Gin contemplated.

"I've never seen a Shinigami do anything like that before…I thought your powers were all based around your Zanpakutos?" Ichigo thought aloud.

Aizen gave Ichigo a knowing stare, "That is why it is good that we're training. By eliminating all possible solutions for your opponents' victory, our success is one hundred percent guaranteed."

"Alright so…how does Kido work?" Ichigo asked.

"Typically a Shinigami has to do an incantation to perform one of these spells, but a skilled user can skip that process at the cost of a weaker effect. While the drawbacks are noticeable, it gives one a perfect opportunity for a surprise attack if they use a chantless Kido. Most veterans usually prefer a medium between these two extremes and will typically just name the spell," the brown haired man's explanation seemed to fascinate Ichigo, and brought a slight hint of concern to Gin.

Though he was outwardly passive, Gin mentally cringed at the idea of Aizen teaching Ichigo the intricacies of Kido. The silver haired man couldn't help but wonder what Sousuke Aizen had planned, '_Does he intend on teaching Kido to a hollow? That would be unprecedented…_'

Still hidden behind Gin, several paces away, Soifon felt a sharp shiver run down her spine, '_Aizen's teaching White about Kido…that's really bad news for us. Looks like Ichimaru is standing in front of my hiding spot now. Did he not sense me over here? Well…I caught a lucky break. They might have noticed me if he didn't show up when he did. Or...maybe they didn't sense me at all. Maybe it was just him they sensed? Hell none of this makes sense._'

Aizen smiled as he spoke a spell, "Hado number 88: Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho."

Gin and Soifon both watched with shock as Aizen fired a literal beam of lightning out of his hand towards Ichigo. The arrancar's eyes widened at its sheer magnitude, '_What the hell is that?!_'

Ichigo countered it as he held his bloody hand up, "Gran Rey Cero!"

Before the powerful beam of lightning could strike him, Ichigo countered it with his deadly cero. Both beams locked into a tremendous surge of explosive energy. It exerted an indescribable amount of force as Soifon and Gin found it much harder to move.

As the countering beams pushed against each other, they grew larger and larger by the second. Soifon's eyes widened shocked at the sight, '_They call this training? This looks like a death match…_'

'_Captain Aizen certainly didn't pull any punches…that's the same Hado that moustache guy used on us over a century ago. I wasn't aware Aizen knew how to do it,_' Gin thought incredulously.

Ichigo's Cero and Aizen's Kido were deadlocked for almost half a minute before the cero managed to push it back. Soifon stared in disbelief, '_How long has this been going on?! It looks like White's pushing it back. His cero can counter a forbidden high level Hado of that size with just sheer power? I don't know whether to be impressed or horrified…_'

"Bakudo number 81: Danku," Aizen stated causing a powerful barrier to come up and block the cero before it could hit him. After the attack subsided, Ichigo stared with curiosity, "What was that? A barrier?"

"A Bakudo is a more versatile spell that is best suited for weakening an opponent or countering them. It can be used for good defensive spells as well," Aizen explained.

"That looks useful…" Ichigo noted.

"Try to use a Getsuga against me Ichigo…I want to show you something," Aizen said coolly.

Ichigo drew his blade and swung it at Aizen in its sealed form releasing a controlled burst of black and red spiritual power in an arced wave of energy.

Before it could make contact, Aizen drew his sword and deflected the Getsuga with just one swing. Ichigo laughed at the display, "I wasn't expecting something so simple…"

"I wasn't expecting a weak Getsuga either…I thought you wanted to spar," Aizen said almost grinning.

Gin frowned slightly at the sight, '_What is Aizen doing? He seems to be in a good mood for some reason…_'

The brown haired man held his blade up in a fighting stance. Ichigo cocked his head somewhat confused before Aizen flew towards him a split second later. He swiftly brought his sword up to block Aizen's causing a loud clang to ensue.

Both warriors pressed swords against one another before flaking their blades off to the side. The moment after doing so, a considerable chunk of sand and earth came blasting out of the ground as it crumbled into the distance. Gin stared at the display somewhat impressed, '_Even in their base states, a simple parry caused that much residual force?_'

Ichigo seemed surprised by Aizen's strength, "I don't remember you being this strong, before…"

"That's your number one weakness, Ichigo…" Aizen replied calmly. Ichigo immediately swung his blade in for swift slash, which met Kyoka Suigetsu. Both blades flaked off again causing an adjacent eruption of earth to go flying once again.

Slowly, they continued to parry and swing their Zanpakutos as the pace of the battle began to increase. Ichigo couldn't help but find Aizen's form flawless. As their blades crossed repeatedly in destructive waves of pressure, the nearby area was quickly devastated.

Soifon felt worried that her hiding spot wasn't going to last at the rate they were going. She stared at the sword fight amazed, '_They're moving so fast, I can barely see them!_'

To Ichigo and Aizen, their exchange felt slow, but Gin and Soifon seemed to think otherwise as they both witnessed the blinking blur of Aizen and Ichigo appearing across the battlefield repeatedly parrying the other's attacks. Sparks seemed to fill the air as the blurs got faster and faster.

They both stopped briefly as they gripped their swords with two hands. Gin couldn't help but find the scene strange, '_I've never seen Aizen use Kendo…Ichigo seems to be copying him. This ought to be interesting_.'

Aizen looked at Ichigo curiously, "You're trained in Kendo are you?"

"I had some experience when I was a human…" Ichigo replied.

Aizen smiled at his remark, "Show me."

Both warriors charged in and swung their blades with full force causing a sonic boom. The pressure behind the clash was so great that it actually sent both combatants flying back from each other. Gin covered his ears as they repeated the move and before long, the following clashes began to pick up again in another torrent of attacks.

Gin could only compare this training match to a mortar barrage due to the booming noise and ridiculous amount of damage it was doing to the surrounding landscape.

Soifon could barely believe the sheer magnitude of this sparring match, _'I had no idea Captain Aizen was this powerful…he's holding his own against White better than I expected he would. Has he been downplaying his power this entire time?_'

Aizen swung overhead, narrowly missing Ichigo. The orange haired arrancar reflexively spun to the side as Aizen's blade came swinging up right away. He dove down and rolled into a strong slice, but the Shinigami managed to block it as he angled his blade down.

Ichigo quickly cleaved in an opposite rotation hoping to catch Aizen off guard. Swinging his leg over Ichigo's twisting sword, Aizen spun over it into a swift parry. Briefly leaping back, Ichigo ran in for a powerful charge. Aizen did the same and once again, their blades collided in another standoff. This time, both warriors pressed hard against one another.

Neither one really seemed to have the upper hand at first as they pushed back and forth. Ichigo looked at Aizen impressed as they continued to push, "You're pretty good at fighting, Sousuke. Definitely faster than I remember…but you're not stronger than I am."

Ichigo slowly began to push Aizen back now, much to Gin's shock. The silver haired man kept his reaction hidden, but he couldn't help but find it remarkable that Ichigo could not only match Aizen's strength but surpass it.

Aizen smiled as Ichigo began to get the upper hand, "Perhaps not…but I see an opening. Hainawa," Before he had time to react, Ichigo noticed Aizen form a strange energy rope.

Ichigo soon felt the strange rope of energy wrap around one of his arms. Aizen tugged at it forcing Ichigo to weaken his grip. The arrancar immediately pulled against it, causing the rope to strain. However during his brief moment of doing so, Aizen delivered a powerful slash across his chest. After his attack made contact, Aizen leapt back and took in Ichigo's reaction.

He looked at Aizen somewhat surprised, "Nice move…but you're going to have to do better than that."

"That was simply a scratch so that I could use Kaido. Allow me to show you how it works," Aizen stated as he stepped forward and held his hand up. A green glow covered it as he held it up to Ichigo's wound.

The hollow's wounds were already healing due to his natural regeneration, but the Kaido sped the process along. He looked at the green glow around Aizen's hand as the Shinigami pulled it back. A small chuckle escaped Ichigo's lips as he looked at Aizen, "Is it possible for me to learn Kido?"

'_Oh hell no…please tell me that this is not really happening_,' Soifon thought horrified.

Gin seemed deep in thought, '_This is bad news for the Soul Society…_'

"Possibly…I would be interested to see if you were capable," Aizen said coolly.

Before Ichigo could reply, a crashing thud caught his attention. He looked up curiously as he spotted Wonderweiss. The purple eyed blonde waved at him in a friendly fashion. Moments later, Luppi appeared right behind him. Wonderweiss looked between Ichigo and Aizen for a brief moment before speaking, "White…Szayel asked me to come get you. He said he found something out about that Quincy Blood on your coat."

"Really? Hmm…I should probably go see him then. We need to find out what this Wandenreich is capable of. I guess we'll have to pick this up another time, Sousuke…" Ichigo waved before heading off with Wonderweiss and Luppi.

After they were gone, Aizen looked over at Gin somewhat amused, "Is something bothering you, Gin?"

"No, Aizen-sama…I just found your little skirmish with White kind of impressive. You seemed to be enjoying yourself," Gin noted.

Aizen simply began to walk away, "Perhaps…Ichigo is my greatest achievement. I enjoy watching him grow. He has surpassed my expectations. I'm kind of glad he became a hollow now. Things are going much smoother because of it."

"I don't know you to be on a first name basis with anyone…I'm surprised you let him address you so casually," Gin said carefully.

The brown haired Shinigami gave Gin a careless shrug, "Ichigo is worthy enough to address me by name. So I don't mind."

'_Why does the idea of them being friends make me nervous? It's going to be a lot harder to find my moment of opportunity now…_' Gin thought to himself as Aizen headed back to Las Noches. The silver haired Shinigami shook the doubt from his thoughts as he watched Aizen depart. The brown haired man didn't seem to waste any time as he simply flashed away leaving Gin at the torn up battleground.

The silver haired man sighed as he glanced down, deep in thought. He couldn't help but wonder what the nature of Ichigo and Aizen's true allegiance was. Deep down, he had a feeling that Aizen was on to him, and was using Ichigo as a shield. Whatever the case, Gin knew that things were going to become much more dangerous for everyone as a result of Ichigo and Aizen's mutual cooperation with one another.

After he was convinced that Aizen was far out of range, he turned around and looked at the rocky formation behind him.

Soifon, who was still hiding at this particular rock formation held her breath as she pressed herself against the ground and remained as motionless as possible. She had one eye open barely trained on Gin who wasn't very far away.

Her one open eye cautiously looked up and immediately widened when she noticed Gin staring directly at her in the shadows. The silver haired captain's blue eyes had a strange look in them much to Soifon's surprise. Time all but seemed to stop as the Stealth Force Leader felt her heart skip several beats, '_He sees me! Did he know I was here this entire time?! I need to get out of here!_'

"What a pretty rock formation," Gin chuckled to himself as he looked away pretending like he didn't see Soifon. The woman stared at him incredulously, _'What the?! Did he not see me? He must have…he was looking directly at me!'_

She wasn't sure whether or not Gin was just trying to get her to lower her guard. Reluctantly, she remained where she was and waited for him to leave. Much to her fear, he didn't. Gin briefly chuckled to himself before speaking again, "Although…such a rare looking formation is an oddity out in the middle of the desert. It's quite the miracle that it didn't end up getting destroyed in the battle just now. It must have been because I was standing here…"

'_He knows I'm here…Damn Ichimaru is messing with me!_' Soifon thought worried.

Deciding she was out of options, Soifon leapt from her hiding spot and immediately got into a defensive stance glaring at Gin hatefully. The silver haired man faked surprise when he saw her, "Oh goodness! Captain Soifon!? Are my eyes deceiving me? You were here this entire time?!"

"Shut up, Ichimaru! You damn traitor!" Soifon growled.

"Not just a traitor…but a damn traitor. That must be quite a bit worse," he said casually.

She looked at him cautiously as she tried to figure out what to do, "How long did you know I was here?"

"I actually followed you out here…strange that I couldn't sense your Reiatsu, but you didn't move fast enough to avoid me spotting you as you left Las Noches," Gin replied.

The woman's face went pale, "Y-you…followed me out here?! You're lying! If you knew I was here, you would have said something to them!"

"Hmm…I'm surprised you actually had the courage to come here by yourself after the attack on the Soul Society. Those cloaks aren't really known for being one hundred percent effective…especially against powerful individuals like White and Captain Aizen. I'm honestly surprised it took them that long to notice you. I think the cloaks are emotion-based to some degree. You should have kept your cool," Gin chuckled.

"Why are you guys working with Aizen!? Huh?! Why did you betray us for an allegiance with hollows?!" And why didn't you tell them I was here if you knew?!" She demanded angrily.

Gin looked at her somewhat amused, "Now that is an interesting bunch of questions. Betrayal is such a terrible thing isn't it?"

"You tell me…you're the one who did it!" she growled.

"How's everybody been since we left?" Gin asked enthusiastically.

Soifon couldn't help but find his tone, infuriating. She gave him the meanest look she could muster, "Why would you care?! Everyone's still pissed…your Lieutenant Izuru, and Matsumoto are both devastated. I hope you're happy with what you've done…I hope you enjoy living in this dark desert with a bunch of megalomaniacs and monsters!"

"It's not all bad out here…and they're more lunatics than anything. The moon is quite the icon around here." Gin said lightheartedly.

"They're talking about killing the Soul King…are you seriously in support of something so preposterous?!" Soifon demanded angrily.

Gin sighed, "Well, not exactly…but it's what Captain Aizen wants. Believe me when I say…if he wants something, he'll find a way to get it. He finally has his arrancar army."

"Shut up! So are we going to do this or what?!" Soifon asked as she reached for her Zanpakuto.

Gin looked at her seriously as he slowly put his hand on his hilt, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"I'm sure as hell not about to be captured without a fight!" she countered.

"The only reason they didn't sense you is because I was here to cover you…in case that wasn't obvious," Gin stated bluntly, causing Soifon to stare at him disbelievingly.

She shook her head, "Then…you were trying to cover me?! Why?!"

"You should go…I won't be able to hide your presence next time. It's quite miraculous neither one of them spotted you before I showed up. I wouldn't waste this chance to leave," Gin said slightly more serious now.

Soifon gawked at him shocked, "A-are you not loyal to them?"

Gin stared at her seriously, "We never saw each other…I can pretend I didn't see you and you can keep this a pretty little secret can't ya? I'd appreciate it if you left this detail out of your report…"

'_Is he not really loyal to Aizen?! Ichimaru is a double agent?!_' Soifon thought disbelievingly.

She wasn't sure whether or not this was a set up to get her to lower her guard. Soifon backed away as she kept her eyes glued on the silver haired man. This continued until she was far enough away, before she began to take off.

As she took off, Gin stood there frowning slightly, _'I hope she keeps her mouth shut…I only have one chance and I don't need the Soul Society ruining it. Though I only have the ability to take out one of them. I wonder who is more dangerous…Aizen, or Ichigo? Damn it…Aizen's always one step ahead._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Outside of Szayel's Laboratory XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As Ichigo followed Wonderweiss and Luppi through the hallways of Las Noches towards Szayel's new laboratory, he couldn't help but notice the annoyed look on Luppi's face.

The dark haired arrancar let out an over exaggerated sigh quickly announcing his displeasure. Ichigo cocked his head curiously, "What's wrong, Luppi?"

"Hmph, well besides the fact that I didn't make it into the Espada and I'm this guy's lackey now…nothing much," Luppi stated with a touch of displeasure.

Wonderweiss looked back at him with a reassuring smile, "You're not my lackey. I just wanted a fraccion close enough to my power level I could train with."

Luppi's aggravated face seemed to ease up slightly as he rose a brow at Wonderweiss, "You trying to win me over with flattery? It's not going to work. I'll do what you say, but I'm not your pal."

"You should feel honored that an Espada chose you to be in their Fraccion, Luppi. It means he recognized your worth." Ichigo persuaded.

The effeminate arrancar looked at Ichigo somewhat understandingly, "I suppose you have a point there."

Before their conversation could continue, an over-excited pink haired man met them at the entrance to his laboratory. Szayel was standing there with a beaming grin on his face, "Glorious, exalted High King White! I have amazing news that might just earn me a bit of your affection!"

Ichigo chuckled at his enthusiasm, "Alright…what did you find, Szayel?"

"Come in! Come in! I want you to look inside my laboratory first! I wasted no time in getting it set up properly!" Szayel said as he waved the three hollows in with an inviting arm motion.

As they passed inside, Ichigo looked around somewhat impressed by all the various different mechanical devices set up. He didn't get much of a chance to look around as Szayel grabbed his forearm and practically pulled him to a specific section in the laboratory.

Upon reaching their destination, Szayel let go and ran over to work several panels causing a large tank to rise out of the ground. Inside of it, was a strange concoction of dark liquid. Ichigo looked at it somewhat confused before meeting Szayel's gaze.

He immediately began to explain what they were looking at, "As you can see, your Excellency, this is a vaccine I created using the blood sample you gave to me. Sadly there isn't as much…your pants would have provided 120 percent increased results, but I digress. I discovered what this blood can do. After testing it on some…subjects…I discovered that is has the ability to latch onto living beings just by touching them. It has some strange type of reishi manipulation properties, which could very easily give one control over anything it affects. Now I am almost positive of what kind of effect this would have if its source owner was around. It would give that person the ability to contaminate another's blood and control them through it. But that's not all! This blood has amazing healing properties and can even reanimate and replenish dead tissue. Due to its composition, I imagine high exposure to this blood would darken the skin of stronger spiritual beings because-"

"I think he gets the idea…so what's this vaccine for?" Luppi interrupted causing Szayel to give him an intolerable huff.

The pink haired man crossed his arms as he took a step back, "Well…I forget we're in the presence of lesser minded hollows. I will cut to the chase then. The Quincy who shed this blood has a necromantic nature. This vaccine can counter the Sternritter's ability to control living targets."

"Yeah I think her name was Giselle or something like that," Ichigo remembered the very creepy Quincy.

Szayel's eyes widened slightly, "Yes…Giselle you say? I looked over her DNA samples from the blood and-"

"Nobody cares…" Luppi protested in annoyance, "how is this relevant?"

The pink haired man sighed, "I suppose it isn't…anyways, this vaccine I created has the ability to counteract the effect on our living…but I am not entirely sure if it'll work for a dead arrancar. Their immune system and spiritual power ceases to function after vital organs shut down and…ahem, excuse my ranting. I don't mean to bore you with all of this. Essentially, the vaccine is ready for our army.."

"It's okay, Szayel…good work. I actually have another project for you if you're not too busy," Ichigo replied.

Szayel immediately bowed his head, "I'm never too busy to help you, White…"

"Alright then, I need you to develop some kind of way to counter Quincies with hollow blood. Apparently, we're poisonous to them…see what you can do with that. Maybe create a biological weapon?" Ichigo suggested.

The pink haired scientist immediately burst into an unrestrained grin, "I love the way you think, White! Truly, you and I are two of a kind. Your genius suggestion is perfect! I will get started immediately!"

"Sounds good…also, make sure you get some time in to train too. Everyone needs to be ready to fight," the hollow king stated.

Szayel gave Ichigo a curt nod, "Of course…I'll make sure I refine my abilities."

"Find a training partner too if you can. Preferably someone you won't…damage too badly," Wonderweiss added with a faint concern.

Luppi shook his head as Szayel began to run around the room gathering various supplies for his new project, "What a nut job…"

"Hey, at least he's on our side…" Ichigo replied.

"My brother's crazy…there's no beating around the boulder there," a newly arrived arrancar stated. Ichigo quickly recognized it as Yylfordt. Szayel turned his gaze towards the doorway and spotted the blonde hollow, "Ah look who decided to come visit me in my new lab!"

"Yeah I didn't come hang out with you, Szayel…Grimmjow was looking for you White," the blonde explained to Ichigo as he ignored his pink haired brother.

The hollow scientist gawked at him irritably, "Well fine…just ignore me then."

"Shouldn't you be getting to work? I'm pretty sure White just gave you an order," Yylfordt countered.

The pink haired man narrowed his gaze and gave a cocky grin, "Ah yes…of course. You must not know what it's like having others depend on you."

Before an argument could break out, Ichigo quickly interrupted, "Take me to Grimmjow…I'll go see what he wants."

"Of course, High King," Yylfordt nodded. As he led Ichigo, Wonderweiss, and Luppi out of the lab, he briefly glanced back and gave Szayel a rude gesture.

As they exited, Luppi looked at Yylfordt curiously, "For brothers, you two sure do act like you hate each other."

"It's complicated…he's always been an annoying, condescending prick." Yylfordt sighed.

"You got that right…I don't like that wackjob," Luppi nodded in agreement.

Yylfordt narrowed his gaze disapprovingly, "Hey…don't call him that. It's only okay if I do it. He is still my brother after all."

Luppi cocked his head uncertainly, "So wait…it's okay for you to call him crazy, but I can't? And who cares if he's your brother?"

"If you don't know what it's like to have a sibling, then it's hard to explain. No matter what they do to piss you off, you can't help but not hate them. Szayel is a bit eccentric yes…but I think he's pretty loyal, all things considered," Yylfordt explained.

Luppi shook his head, "Yeah…if you say so. Do you know what he's talking about, King White?"

Ichigo lowered his head as he thought about his underling's comment, '_No matter what they do to piss you off, you can't help but not hate them. Karin…I'll free you from their clutches even if you don't want me to_.'

"I do," Ichigo nodded, "siblings look after one another no matter what. You don't care if they're right or wrong…you just care."

"Huh…do you have any siblings?" Luppi asked Ichigo curiously.

The Hollow King briefly glanced at him before sighing, "Yeah…I did. It's not something I really feel like talking about."

"I believe Grimmjow is down that hallway," Yylfordt changed the subject.

As they made their way back down a large hallway, Ichigo soon noticed Grimmjow leaning against the wall with a bored look on his face.

Upon spotting the new arrivals, the blue haired Espada grinned, "Yo, White…glad you came. I had a favor I wanted to ask you."

"Sure thing, what is it?" Ichigo replied.

Grimmjow paused for a moment before answering, "Do you mind teaching my Fraccion how to fight as a team? I'm good at refining their fighting abilities, but they don't really seem to understand battle synergy. I saw your three using some interesting combos and thought you might be able to straighten them out?"

"Yeah sure, I can help them out," Ichigo nodded.

"Cool, they're a ways out in the desert right now. Let's go whip those lazy wimps into shape," Grimmjow grinned.

"Do you mind if we come too?" Wonderweiss asked Grimmjow. The sexta glanced at Wonderweiss curiously, "Uhh…I guess so. Why?"

"Maybe you should make them fight my Fraccion," Wonderweiss pointed at Luppi.

The dark haired arrancar's eyes widened, "What? I don't want to fight them…"

"Sounds like a plan…" Grimmjow laughed causing Luppi's face to widen with disbelief.

He glared at Grimmjow unhappily, "Doesn't he have like five or six fracciones?"

"This might prove beneficial to both parties," Ichigo spoke as he and the others followed Grimmjow.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A good distance away from Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Deeper in the desert, Soifon finally stopped to catch her breath. She had been running since Gin found her and was now contemplating her next course of action. '_I need to retreat…if Aizen and White can sense me even faintly, then this mission is too dangerous_.'

Examining the device on her wrist she realized it was probably a good idea to open the Garganta and leave immediately. Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance as three loud sounds caught her attention. Looking up anxiously, she paled in horror.

Three individuals surrounded her. They were adorned in white buttoned uniforms and were clearly not hollows. One had a strange helmet that almost reminded her of a medieval knight. Another had an unusual visor and terrible teeth. The final one had a sophisticated, condescending look about him.

"Rogue target confirmed…Shinigami, captain class," the strange helmeted one said in a robotic way.

"Well what do we have here, hmm? A Shinigami Captain all alone in Hueco Mundo?" the condescending one said.

"Kirge, orders?" BG9 asked.

The man waved his arm aggressively, "Don't let her escape."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: No Escape**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo followed Grimmjow further out into the desert where many of his various former adjuchas could be seen training with one another. They all immediately tensed up and stopped what they were doing as Grimmjow landed. Behind him, Ichigo, Wonderweiss, Yylfordt, and Luppi did the same.

Di Roy was the first one to speak, "Grimmjow, good to see you're back."

"I hope you enjoyed your break while I was gone because now your real training begins," the blue haired arrancar replied before looking over his followers.

"Grimmjow, what is the High King, White, doing here?" Edorad asked nervously as the fearsome Espada strolled up with his hands in his pocket.

Grimmjow spit on the ground and chuckled, "Alright listen up you idiots! I've had my fair share of beating common sense into you for now, so in the mean time, White's going to teach you how to fight as a team. Any stupid questions before we start?"

Edrad's eyes widened, "Fight as a team? We already do that though…"

"No you don't…I've been scoping out White's Fracciones, and they're far more cohesive than you guys. If we're gonna be in a lot of big scale battles, then delivering combos and covering each others' backs is what will make all the difference," Grimmjow began.

Ichigo nodded in agreement, "Grimmjow is right. However, this brings up another important point as well…even though the Espada are vastly powerful, we can't be everywhere at once and will not be able to safeguard Hueco Mundo's inhabitants by ourselves. The Shinigami outnumber us by a considerable margin. Even if I could kill every last one of them, I wouldn't be able to keep them from killing our army if it's weak and unorganized. Do you understand?"

Shaw Long was the first to respond accordingly, "Your rationalization is perfectly understandable, High King. You will be busy dealing with the Shinigami Captains…but they have Lieutenants and an army of Squads beneath them as well. You cannot deal with all of them at once."

"I hope you do understand, because it's not like this is hard to comprehend," Luppi scoffed, "King White wants the army to be reliable so he doesn't have to worry about protecting it while fighting the elite Shinigami."

"I get it now…" Di Roy nodded submissively.

Yylfordt sighed, "What sort of things can we do to improve our battle synergy then?"

"I'm glad you asked," Ichigo grinned, "To start I want to see how well you guys can fight as a team. I'm going to divide you into two groups. Both sides will fight the other. I'll evaluate your group flaws after you're done."

"What?! How can we learn to work with each other if you divide us up though?" Nakeem deadpanned.

Grimmjow shook his head in disapproval, "Just do what he says…this kind of stuff makes sense after it's over."

"Alright the first group will consist of Shaw Long, Nakeem, and Edorad. The second team will be Luppi, Di Roy, and Yylfordt. Separate and meet up with your team. Come up with a battle strategy and then when I call for it, your teams will battle each other. The first team to lose a member in battle loses," Ichigo explained.

"The hell?! That's not right," Edorad protested.

Shaw Long seemed to understand as he shook his head, "No…it makes sense. It forces us protect each other in battle."

"Yeah, but why are we stuck with Nakeem though?!" Edorad growled.

The hefty arrancar turned towards Edorad annoyed, "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying you're dead weight bro," Edorad sighed.

"Ugh…why do I have to work with them?" Luppi protested as he looked at Yylfordt and Di Roy.

"I would prefer to not have Di Roy on our side…he's pretty weak," Yylfordt complained.

"Not weaker than Nakeem," Edorad shot back.

"Shut up!" Grimmjow immediately silenced their complaints, "you won't get to choose who's on your side in the heat of battle…and you sure as hell won't always be on the same level of power. That's not the point here."

"Exactly…each team has a strategist, a powerhouse, and a weaker ally. Try to coordinate a strategy that most effectively deals with it," Ichigo commanded.

Doing as commanded, each side split up and got out of hearing range of each other. Grimmjow looked at Ichigo approvingly, "This ought to be good…I wonder which side will win."

"Luppi's a lot stronger than your Fracciones, but he's not exactly a team player. It could go either way," Wonderweiss added.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX With Yylfordt, Luppi, and Di Roy XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"This is stupid…you two just need to stay back and let me handle them. We're going to lose if you get yourselves beaten right away," Luppi sassed authoritatively.

Di Roy gritted his teeth at him, "Like hell we will! How do you expect us to get stronger if we just sit back and do nothing?! Besides, I doubt you could fight all three of them at once."

"I beg to differ…I'm stronger than all of you," Luppi replied snidely.

"Shut up you two…don't you even see what the Espada are trying to teach us? In battle, your allies won't always be your choice and neither will your enemies. We all have different talents and roles to play…ways to help each other. Battles aren't always won with sheer power," Yylfordt interrupted.

"So…what's the plan then," Di Roy asked anxiously.

"Yes, I'm eager to see what our group strategist has to say…" Luppi sighed.

"Since you're supposedly strong, Luppi, you should be in the front. I imagine they will probably use Edorad to tank our assault. He's pretty tough in his release state. So if you can hold him back in their opening assault, I can flank and help you neutralize him immediately. If I know Shaw Long, he will probably hang back and try to observe all of us before making his move. However, he doesn't know Luppi's abilities yet. We can use that to our advantage," Yylfordt explained thoroughly.

"What should I do then?" Di Roy asked.

Their plan will most likely be to attack our weakest link, you, as quickly as possible. Knowing Edorad's idiocy, he will go for you immediately. Luppi hold him off and I will try to get Edorad if he overextends. If they make any other moves, be ready to respond to on the call changes. The main thing I want you to do Di Roy is bait them. Stay close to Luppi."

"Alright then," Di Roy nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Shaw Long, Eodrad, and Nakeem XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I say we blitz in there and take down Di Roy as quickly as possible. That's the rules of the match yeah?" Edorad suggested.

Nakeem nodded, "That would be the best course of action, and I can stay with Shaw Long in case they try to sneak around or something."

"That is a foolish plan, Edorad…blitzing them could prove an issue since we have no idea what Luppi is capable of. He's ranked pretty highly in terms of power. Though we can use that to our advantage. He seems pretty arrogant and may be easy to taunt. If we can separate him from the group, then it will be easier to break through their defenses."

"Maybe, but what about Yylfordt? He's not a pushover…" Edorad stated.

"You should focus your efforts on distracting him. He will likely focus more on defending Di Roy since Luppi is there to attack us," Shaw Long replied.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Back with Ichigo, Grimmjow, and Wonderweiss XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Are you all ready?!" Ichigo asked.

Both groups came back and stood across from the other. On one side, Luppi and Yylfordt stood on Di Roy's flanks. On the other, Edorad stood in front with Shaw long Nakeem on the sides.

"Everyone release! There's no point doing this in your base states!" Grimmjow commanded.

One by one, each Fraccion released their Zanpakutos revealing their forms. Luppi's form was somewhat alarming to Shaw Long, who didn't expect the extra appendages to sprout from his back.

"Start the battle!" Grimmjow shouted.

Without hesitation, Edorad immediately charged in bull-rushing Yylfordt. The blonde was somewhat surprised to see the other arrancar targeting him, and peeled away slightly from his team as he clashed with him.

Luppi ran past them right away and went in for both Shaw Long and Nakeem. They were surprised by his speed and strength, which was clearly higher than anticipated. Luppi quickly swept Shaw Long back with one of his tentacle like appendages and launched a follow-up sweep with another.

Nakeem watched surprised as two more wrapped around Shaw Long's claw like arms preventing him from attacking. Luppi swiftly threw the other arrancar around smashing him repeatedly against the ground. During this time he failed to notice Edorad and Nakeem both switch targets and charge Di Roy.

Yylfordt growled in annoyance, "Luppi, get back here!"

By the time the arrancar turned around, he saw Edorad and Nakeem both standing over a downed Di Roy. Yylfordt appeared somewhat roughed up, and was glaring in annoyance.

"Shaw Long's team won," Ichigo announced expectedly, "that was a good tactical switch. Though it's not quite as cohesive as I'd like to see. Nevertheless, you utilized your weaker link to help win, so I believe you understand what the point of this challenge was."

"We lost? Damn…" Luppi huffed in disappointment.

Grimmjow shook his head at the arrancar, "I don't think you get it yet."

"Hey I just did what my strategist told me to!" Luppi defended himself.

Ichigo took a step forward and sighed, "Perhaps so, but you fail to see the bigger picture here. It's not worth going for a kill if your allies are in trouble. Our ability to safeguard one another is the only safety we're going to have against the legions of Shinigami and Quincies."

"Well this was barely any help at all…" Luppi said displeased.

"How's about we make a new challenge. I want you to fight all of my Fracciones at the same time. Maybe that'll be a challenge enough for you," Grimmjow scoffed.

Luppi's face seemed somewhat alarmed by the statement, but he didn't back down from the challenge now that everyone's eyes were on him.

"Fine…" he sighed.

"Wonderweiss, do you mind keeping an eye on them out here? I'd like to speak to Grimmjow in private," Ichigo requested.

The blonde Espada nodded his head, "I certainly can."

Grimmjow gave Ichigo a curious look, "What's this about?"

"It's about increasing our power. C'mon, let's leave them to it here," Ichigo replied.

The blue haired arrancar grunted, "Shame…I wanted to see the loudmouth get his ass kicked. Alright, let's go."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Mayuri's Lab, Soul Society XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Standing around the infamous captain of Squad 12, was Isshin, Yoruichi, and Urahara. Everyone there appeared to be in a serious mood.

Urahara walked up to the machine examining it curiously, "How's she holding up? Is your machine still tracking her?"

"Her vitals are still holding, though I've seen several sporadic jumps in heart-rate and adrenaline flow in the past day," Mayuri explained.

"That's not good…" Urahara said slowly.

"What do you mean, Kisuke? Didn't you give her a Reiatsu concealing cloak? That combined with her stealth skills, would make it hard for anyone to notice her," Yoruichi perked up concerned.

"Well, there's a catch to those cloaks…they sort of malfunction if one is under heavy emotional stress or has a high heart-rate. She might be in trouble," Urahara stated.

"Let me go after her, Kisuke! I can't let her die there for the sake of her own pride!" Yoruichi insisted.

Isshin shook his head doubtfully, "There's no telling what they would do to a Shinigami if they found one in Hueco Mundo."

"Well, I can gear you up to go if you really want…but just you and nobody else. The Captain-Commander would have my head if we launched an unauthorized mission there. Be quick to find out what's going on and hurry back ASAP," Kisuke sighed with a seriousness uncommon to his character.

"What should I do if White shows up?" she asked.

"Run…as fast as possible. Retrieving Soifon and the information she has will be vital," Urahara replied.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soifon, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Shinigami Captain felt slightly worried as she realized she was surrounded. Examining the new arrivals with deadly caution, she immediately realized that they were neither Shinigami nor Hollows. That left her to assume they were the only remaining possibility.

"Quincies?" Soifon spoke questioningly as she looked at each of their unusual appearances.

"Indeed we are…what a very astute observation," the one identified as Kirge said in a very condescending way.

Soifon narrowed her gaze as she looked between the three of them, "What are Quincies doing in Hueco Mundo?"

"We could say the same for you. Shinigami Captains rarely leave the safety of their Soul Society," the Quincy with the strange visor and bad teeth stated. His bare chest and stomach appeared to be showing much to her disgust.

"I thought all of the Quincies were dead…" Soifon said more to herself than the surrounding foes.

"Incorrect assumption. The pure-blooded Quincies still live as well as powerful hybrids," the cyborg one with the knight like helmet announced.

Looking around nervously, Soifon tried to determine the best course of action. She had no idea how powerful these enemies were and she knew that fighting them would attract the attention of hollows. Given what had happened earlier with Gin, she had no desire for that scenario to happen. Weighing her options still, Soifon stalled for time as she rephrased her question, "Why are you three surrounding me? What business does your kind have here?"

"We are under orders to observe the hollows and learn about their plans. I imagine you are here for a similar reason no? You were attacked recently after all weren't you?" Kirge asked smugly.

His surprising insight into Ichigo's attack on the Soul Society left Soifon gawking in disbelief. She shook her head questioningly, "How do you know about that?!"

"That doesn't really matter…now what shall we do with you?" Kirge asked rhetorically. It was pretty obvious he already had something sinister in mind.

Soifon knew she was in trouble and immediately decided to take off running. Thankfully her speed proved superior to the Quincies, but that still didn't ease her concerns as the three Sternritters came following behind at high speeds.

"Apprehend her, now!" Kirge demanded as the three of them began to chase down the lone captain. Soifon was running for her life now as she had no clue what to do in this situation.

Her mind barely had time to process the fact that Quincies were chasing her when all of a sudden the wrist device she was wearing began to beep. She looked at it confused, "What the hell?"

'_What is this thing beeping for?_' Soifon began to wonder as she continued to move at high speeds further away. It felt like she was running for hours but it could have very well just been minutes. It wasn't long however, before she was winded.

Believing she was a safe enough distance away from Las Noches, the captain finally stopped in her tracks and turned around drawing her Zanpakuto, "I'm not going down without a fight!"

"On the contrary…you are," Kirge stated in a familiar condescending way. He appeared somewhat out of breath himself, but otherwise fine.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo and Grimmjow XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Care to explain what this is all about?" Grimmjow asked after a deeper journey into the desert. The two hadn't said a word after leaving the Fracciones behind with Wonderweiss.

Ichigo finally stopped and nodded his head, causing Grimmjow to land next to him. The blue haired arrancar cocked his head uncertainly, "Well?"

"I've been thinking about how we could all get more power. You know about Shinigami bankai right? It's a second stage beyond their original shikai. With it they become ten times more powerful, supposedly. What if we could do the same?" Ichigo theorized.

"What?! Achieve a bankai? That's Shinigami nonsense, White…what we really need to do is figure out how to empower our release forms," Grimmjow replied.

"That's what I mean…if bankais exist for Shinigami, then there must be something greater we could achieve," Ichigo continued.

Grimmjow shrugged, "It sounds all good in theory, but being arrancars already makes us superior to Shinigami. I imagine the release states of the Espada are all more than a match for the bankais of captains. Not to mention, with all of us united, they won't stand a chance against Hueco Mundo."

"Barragan told me something when I spoke to him last. He said that the Espada actually existed before, and that the original members were the ones responsible for the creation of Las Noches. They were all united too…but failed to defeat the Shinigami. Their leader was the first arrancar, Zangetsu…and after his death to the First Kenpachi, Hueco Mundo fell apart under civil war and was eventually subdued," Ichigo explained in detail.

Grimmjow's eyes were almost maddened with rage, "What?! That old skeleton bastard knew this all along and never said anything?!"

"Calm down, Grimmjow…I'm telling you this now, because you deserve to know. The former Espada exceeded all of our power, and they failed to defeat the Shinigami. They didn't have enough power…and when their leader fell, the rest fought over the vacuum left behind. That could very well happen again if we don't take precautions," Ichigo continued.

The Sexta Espada nodded his head, "Yeah I understand…so what do you recommend we do in order to achieve this second stage of release?"

Ichigo sighed, "I wanted to talk with Ulquiorra about it. He's seen multiple Shinigami bankais, and likely has some good insight into the matter. I just wanted you to think about this ahead of time. It's going to take everything in our arsenal to survive. We're going to need monstrous levels of power to strive."

"So what do you recommend I do then?" Grimmjow wondered.

"I want you to see something. It's an ability that calls upon both Shinigami and hollow powers," Ichigo stated as he held up both hands forming a red, white, and black cero.

Grimmjow's eyes widened considerably, "What the hell?"

"Gray Rey Cero Oscuras," Ichigo said as he unleashed the powerful beam into the landscape. As he fired it, he turned his head towards Grimmjow, "The black spiritual energy is my Shinigami power. As an arrancar, you have this power as well. Try to tap into it."

As the attack finished, Grimmjow laughed in admiration, "I like the way you make points around here, White. I'll definitely work on trying to tap into that power."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soifon XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Right as Soifon's Zanpakuto came from its sheath, she saw a colossal stream that could only be identified as a cero erupt leagues away. Her eyes lit up in panic as she wondered what it was. It seemed to distract the Quincies as well.

Nanana observed the horizon and his eyes visibly widened beneath his visor, "Readings show an arrancar cero. The power level is…remarkable. Estimated distance, two hundred kilometers."

"Are you serious? That far?! What a display of power. Can you track the trajectory to the origin?" Kirge asked, suddenly not as interested in the trapped Soifon.

BG9 did a follow up scan with Nanana, "Origin traced further towards the center of the desert near Las Noches."

Soifon remembered the heavy, feeling of power before. Even from this distance, the echo of Ichigo's power was distinguishable. The cero didn't seem to be aimed in any particular direction, which led her to believe that Ichigo had been training again or something along those lines.

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi," Soifon spoke her release command as her short dagger-like Zanpakuto transformed into a long hornet colored stinger over her middle finger.

'_There's no point in holding back right now…but I don't think I can afford to use my bankai. I'll have to save that as a very last resort_,' Soifon thought as she held up her arm.

The three Quincies turned towards her somewhat alarmed by the turn of events. She glared at the trio of white-clad freaks and spoke one follow-up word, "Shunko."

Her spiritual energy seemed to reshape into the form of wind as she stared her enemies down, "If you want a fight, then I'll give you one!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo Desert, Nel XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Further into the desert, the turquoise haired Espada was currently helping her Fracciones to improve. They had been progressing fairly well, and she did her best to help them compensate for the weaknesses the Quincies used to exploit them last time. She sensed Ichigo's cero firing into the distance and briefly wondered what he was doing.

She brushed her distracting thoughts aside as Gantenbainne announced the obvious, "Woah, did you guys feel that power?!"

"It would seem even White himself is training right now…what a truly commendable King he is," Dordonii nodded approvingly.

As they continued training, Nel heard the heavy thud of someone landing behind her. She briefly glanced back and noticed it was none other that Nnoitra and his one Fraccion. The lanky, dark-haired Espada sent her a glare, "What are you doing out here?"

"Training my fracciones like Ichigo told us to. I've also been thinking of ways to counter Quincies. What brings you here, Nnoitra?" Nel asked casually.

The one eyed arrancar sent her an annoyed gaze, "I wanted to fight you and see if you're truly as strong as that stupid test claimed. I find it rather insulting that you're considered stronger than I am."

"Why does that matter? We're all allies here…what do you hope to gain by fighting me? If it's training, then by all means I would be happy to help you, but I'd rather not fight you for no reason," Nel replied.

"Urgh…What, so you think you're too good to fight me then?! Is that it? C'mon, draw your Zanpakuto and let's prove it!" Nnoitra growled.

"I don't think Ichigo would want us fighting over something so pointless…we have more important things to worry about right now," Nel tried to reason.

All it seemed to do was provoke Nnoitra further as he hissed in disgust, "You can't hide behind the king forever…I want you to prove if you're worthy to outrank me!"

"Why me specifically? Surely Grimmjow or one of the other Espada would love to meet your challenge…" Nel sighed.

"They've already proven their strength! Barragan and Grimmjow fought White, Starrk is unquestionably powerful, Ulquiorra and Harribel are questionable, but they carry themselves like strong fighters. You on the other hand…you act like a frail female, yet you're supposed to be the sixth strongest arrancar?!" Nnoitra ranted.

Cirucci immediately took offense to Nnoitra's condemning statement and cut in angrily, "Watch what you say about Lady Nel! She's more than a match for you, Nnoitra!"

"This aint good…" Gantenbainne sighed as he covered his face with his palm.

Dordonii simply watched silently as Nel drew her Zanpakuto. The woman gave Nnoitra a disappointed sigh, "If you insist on this, Nnoitra, then I will meet your challenge."

Before either one of them could say another word, Nel's eyes lit up in surprise, "Wait…do you sense that? Quincies…"

"Quincies?!" Cirucci gasped.

Nel gave Nnoitra a brief glance, "This will have to wait until later…though you're welcome to help me investigate."

"Pfft…Quincies huh? How convenient. Though…that spiritual energy I sense does seem rather unfamiliar. Fine let's go," he groaned as Nel, immediately took off towards the source.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soifon XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The captain's battle had been going downhill rather quickly. Despite her superior speed and skill in hand to hand combat, the three on one exchange was almost too much to deal with.

BG9, the cyborg-looking quincy formed some type of massive machine gun and started firing at her as she shunpo'd around the battlefield. The Quincy with the visor chose to stand back and observe the fight, but Soifon grew increasingly nervous the longer he watched them battle.

Kirge on the other hand had been firing countless Reishi arrows in addition to BG9's minigun. Unable to go on the offensive, all Soifon could do was dodge and run. She already knew what they were trying to do. They were hoping to wear her down so that she could be easily captured.

Deciding she had no choice but to be reckless, she appeared behind Kirge and elbowed his back as hard as possible. Wrapping an arm around one of his shoulders, Soifon quickly flipped in the way of BG9's oncoming barrage of Reishi bullets.

The Sternritter was unfortunate enough to receive many wounds from the assault, but Soifon herself was unable to avoid some collateral damage in the process. She appeared further away and examined several fresh bullet wounds that had grazed her limbs. Thankfully nothing struck her torso or head, but she barely had time to celebrate as Kirge was now furious.

She quickly took cover behind one of Hueco Mundo's large rocky structures as she contemplated the next best course of action. Peaking out from her cover, she could see the Sternritters closing in.

Kirge in particular was incoming with deadly intent, but before he could make contact, a blue blur blindsided him and slammed the Quincy into the sandy ground. Standing over the downed Sternritter was none other than Grimmjow. Soifon didn't recognize the Arrancar, but she immediately felt a surge of fear as the bloodthirsty hollow cackled, "Quincies in Hueco Mundo?! I'll kill every last one of you bastards!"

Grimmjow turned towards Nanana and BG9 and gritted his teeth, "You're gonna wish you'd never set foot in Hueco Mundo!"

"Nanana! Identify that hollow!" Kirge ordered as he managed to get up and retreat further away. Nanana looked at the blue haired arrancar calmly, "It's an upper-level Arrancar. Judging by his spiritual energy, I'd guess a former Vasto Lorde. He's strong, but not a major threat."

"The fuck did you just say?! Not a major threat huh? You won't be saying that in a minute!" Grimmjow growled as he charged the trio with ferocity.

BG9 attempted to fire his minigun, but was too slow to react to Grimmjow's speed. The arrancar grabbed the weapon as it began to fire and forced it towards Kirge and Nanana. The two Sternritters immediately dove out of the way as the Minigun wildly fired in their direction.

Grimmjow held onto the weapon as hard as he could and began to pull violently. As BG9 attempted to resist, the blue haired hollow kicked behind the Cyborg's knees forcing it to the ground. The minigun was still firing, but now it was shooting into the air, hitting nothing.

Kirge attempted to peel Grimmjow off of his ally, but as he got in range, the Espada laughed manically, "Not so fast, asshole!"

At near point blank range, Grimmjow pulled one arm off the minigun and fired a cero at the Sternritter forcing him to retreat. During this time, BG9 managed to recover slightly, and was trying to stand up again.

Before he could get enough momentum, Grimmjow flipped the Sternritter over his shoulder smashing it on the ground. The minigun was still in Grimmjow's grip, and now it appeared as if he was attempting to rip the thing off. He let out a sadistic howl as a cranking strain could be heard. The minigun ceased firing as the weapon came clear off BG9's arm.

"Haha! I'll rip you to pieces Quincy fucker!" Grimmjow laughed as he smashed the minigun against BG9's head.

He immediately drew his Zanpakuto and charged towards Kirge with bloodlust. The Sternritter appeared to be slightly afraid as the ruthless hollow closed in.

He attempted to fire his Heilig Pfeil towards the rampaging arrancar, but the arrows proved ineffective as Grimmjow easily deflected or dodged them. Forced to use his blade, Kirge parried Grimmjow's Zanpakuto barely in time.

The blue haired hollow pushed powerfully against the Sternritter immediately causing his arm to shake. Kirge's eyes widened slightly as Grimmjow gave him a hateful stare. The hollow pushed harder as he spoke with fury, "I don't know why you Quincies were stupid enough to come back, but you're not getting out of here alive! I'm not as merciful as White is!"

Kirge tried to disappear with his Hirenkyaku, but it proved ineffective at out-manuvering Grimmjow as the arrancar followed with a sonido. The Sternritter watched curiously as Grimmjow slit his free hand against his own blade. The hollow flicked it at Kirge's eyes causing him to grimace.

The Quincy cried out uncharacteristically in pain causing Grimmjow to cock his head, '_Does my blood hurt him?_'

Without giving it much more thought, the Espada formed a Gran Rey Cero in his hand as Kirge attempted to hold back Grimmjow's Zanpakuto. The Quincy quickly opened his eyes when he heard the sound of something gathering energy. His face was one of pure shock the blue and white cero formed in Grimmjow's free hand blasted him at point blank range.

The Sternritter was immediately launched into the distance as the powerful cero seemingly tore him and everything behind him to pieces

Nanana watched Grimmjow closely during this time and had finally managed to pinpoint the weakness in his Reiatsu. After his cero subsided, Grimmjow shook his head in disgust, "Now it's your tur-"

He immediately felt his entire body freeze in place as he was no longer able to move. Out of nowhere, Nanana had managed to hit him directly below his hollow hole. He glared at the Quincy disbelievingly, "What the hell is this?"

"It's your weak spot…the place on your body with the lightest defense of Reishi and muscle. It will slowly break apart your spiritual energy from the inside if the gaps are widened enough," Nanana explained before striking the area again.

Grimmjow spit up blood and let out a shriek of pain. During his brief incapacitation, BG9 had managed to regain its bearings. Grimmjow looked over and noticed BG9 rising from the ground. The cyborg reached down to grab its minigun and managed to reattach it with the use of Reishi.

Grimmjow finally managed to recover, but felt himself considerably weakened from the cheap shot. He defensively crouched into a more feral fighting stance as he kept his eyes glued to the two Sternritters. "This one is quite strong. Wouldn't you say, Kirge?" Nanana asked.

Grimmjow briefly glanced behind himself and saw the white-garbed Quincy miraculously still alive. He appeared injured however, but otherwise functional.

Kirge held his hand up as Reishi began to enclose Grimmjow into some type of strange energy cage, "This one will do nicely for a recoverable specimen. From him we may be able to gain good insight into the hollow hierarchy and identify their weaknesses and plans."

Soifon watched somewhat horrified as Grimmjow brutally beat against his cage. He howled in anger, "What the hell is this supposed to be?! You think this shit will hold me, quincy?!"

"Silence animal…you will be properly broken once we return to the Silbern. However, there is still the matter of that Shinigami Captain. Track her down, you two. I'll secure this arrancar for our return trip," Kirge announced.

"GRIND PANTERA!" Grimmjow howled as loudly as possible. An explosion of blue spiritual energy erupted from the cage, which visibly expanded from Grimmjow's raw power pouring forth. Soifon continued to watch the scene in disbelief as the hollow's form was more cat like than before. Grimmjow's hair was long and blue now, and his mask fragment changed.

He viciously clawed against the cage much to Kirge's amusement. The Sternritter laughed at him, "You won't break out of that so easily, hollow. Like a beast in a cage, you will soon learn the pointlessness of your resistance. "

"Lanzador Verde!" a feminine voice sounded as an energy charged lance pierced into the cage. Kirge watched with horror as it began to show something akin to cracks. Moments later, Grimmjow burst free with an anger none had ever seen before.

As his cage broke, he roared like a sonic boom causing the desert to shake. Leaping into the air, Grimmjow formed long blue energy claws and swiped them down towards the Quincies. To say the attack was overpowering would be an understatement.

The Sternritters had no choice but to flee from the destructive rampage as Grimmjow began to rabidly destroy everything in range of him. As they distanced themselves from the feline hollow, a voice sounded from behind, "You're not taking ANYONE, Sternritter!"

They all turned around and saw a centaur knight, with a colossal lance. Nel stood there with a look of bloodthirsty fury as she kicked up sand with her back feet. It was obvious that she was about to charge.

"We need to retreat, Kirge!" Nanana said somewhat urgently now. The Quincies didn't get the chance to debate the matter as Grimmjow appeared right behind them. He jabbed one of his claws right through Nanana's chest and held the Quincy off the ground, "I'll tear out your heart!"

Nanana tried to resist, but felt immense pain as Grimmjow's other claw pierced his throat. A bluish grid like pattern covered the Quincy's body trying to stop the blood that was now pouring from his body. Throwing him aside, Grimmjow, immediately charged after the recovering Sternritter.

Meanwhile, Kirge watched with horror as more arrancars began to show up. First it was Nnoitra, but soon Nel's Fraccion arrived as well. They all closed in, but Nel quickly held her hand up, "Allow me to show you what I can do, Nnoitra…"

Further away, Soifon was still hidden behind the rock and was now in full panic. She knew it was only a matter of time before Ichigo showed up. Deciding this was her only chance to escape while the hollows and Quincies were busy with each other, she began to take off.

Nel charged Kirge with brutal speed and immediately overpowered the man as she trampled him onto the ground. She spun her lance around stabbed BG9 in the shoulder before he had a chance to react. The cyborg pointed his minigun at the hollow but was shocked when Nel stabbed her lance directly through the barrel.

Tilting her weapon upward, she instantly snapped it off BG9's arm before swinging the lance's other end in for a jab. The lance pierced the Quincy's chest and it was immediately brought off the ground before Nel tossed the weapon into the nearby rock formation Soifon had been using to hide.

From her mouth, Nel charged a massive pink cero and fired at the cyborg without mercy. Before the attack was even over, she charged in and retrieved her lance. BG9 appeared heavily damaged as its uniform was now mostly tattered or gone.

What was beneath it surprised Nel somewhat. Many strange, mechanical like appendages came forth as the Quincy stood up. Reishi erupted from the tendrils as unusual energy formed into the shape of what she could only describe as wings. A five sided halo formed over the Cyborg's head.

Nel immediately recognized that it was a Vollstandig having seen Bambietta use the technique against Ichigo. She briefly distanced herself as the cyborg floated off the ground with two reformed Reishi miniguns over its arms.

Dordonii's eyes widened, "What is that?!"

Nnoitra cocked his head, "That's a strange ability…"

"Stand back everyone! It's his Vollstandig. It's a Quincy's ultimate ability!" Nel ordered. Everyone backed away as many openings fired missiles into the group of arrancars. They were quickly countered as Nel pre-detonated them with another cero.

She held her lance cautiously as she observed the Quincy for a moment. Meanwhile, Grimmjow had been brutally torturing Nanana with as little remorse as possible. The Quincy tried to flee and fight back, but was unable to stop the rampaging Grimmjow.

Despite the work of his Blut Vene to alleviate injuries, Nanana was still bleeding profusely. He was now covered in claw marks and had many gaping wounds covering his body. Even his blut abilities were proving ineffective at healing him before a new set of wounds appeared.

As he attempted to strike Grimmjow's underbelly again, the Espada grabbed the Sternritter's wrist. Squeezing as hard as possible, Grimmjow twisted the Quincy's hand until a crunching snap could be heard. Nanana shrieked in agony as Grimmjow continued to twist even despite the wrist already being broken.

"You can go on about my 'weak spot' all you want, asshole, but any part of you I choose to break is a weak spot on your body!" Grimmjow cackled maniacally as he held the Sternritter's arm outstretched and broke his elbow next.

Tossing Nanana to the ground, Grimmjow shook his head in disgust, "Say goodbye!"

Before he could deliver a killing blow, a now winged Kirge managed to intercept him. Grimmjow looked at the Quincy almost disbelievingly, "What the hell is that form?!"

"Allow me to show you the true power of a Sternritter, hollow filth. This is my Vollstandig…and it will destroy you," Kirge boasted.

"I highly doubt that…I'm going to tear those wings off," Grimmjow laughed as he pounced the Sternritter. Kirge slashed his blade hoping to deliver a cut now that Grimmjow was disarmed, but he was surprised when Grimmjow parried with his long elbow arm-blades.

They appeared to grow in length as a blue glow radiated around Grimmjow's body. The Espada slashed in instantly disarming Kirge before following up with a devastating series of flurries.

Kirge could barely believe Grimmjow disarmed him and attempted to form another blade out of Reishi. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time as one of Grimmjow's arm blades swept across his throat immediately decapitating the Quincy.

The Sternritter's head fell down onto the sand right in front of the pain-stricken Nanana. He barely managed to look up as Grimmjow's imposing form stood over him. Grimmjow growled, "You'll never cage me, Quincies."

Nanana didn't even have the chance to use his Vollstandig as Grimmjow stomped on his head. Nanana rolled away and made a last-ditch effort to jump away and flee, but as he did so, one of Grimmjow's claws pierced his chest.

Grimmjow literally ripped the Quincy's heart from his chest and squeezed it into mush. Nanana immediately fell over dead shortly afterward. Holding his arms out-stretched, Grimmjow released a deafening victory roar before breaking into a bloodthirsty laugh.

Looking over towards Nel, Grimmjow noticed she had finally brought the cyborg down. Nnoitra appeared somewhat surprised by the power radiating from the two Espada. He looked between Nel and Grimmjow seriously, '_They're both definitely former Vasto Lordes. Those Quincies stood no chance. Is there truly this great a gap between me and them?_'

Grimmjow landed next to Nel and gave her a somewhat curt nod, "Nice of you to join the battle. Were there any more of them?"

"From what I saw, there was only three…though you were here before us. What did you see, Grimmjow?" Nel asked curiously.

The blue-haired arrancar shrugged as he reverted back into his normal form, "They were looking for a Shinigami I think…though how could one be here?"

"Hmm…Where is Ichigo? I sensed his cero earlier. I'm surprised he didn't show up and investigate this," Nel wondered.

Grimmjow scoffed, "You can't expect the High-King to go intervening every time something happens. I told him I'd take care of whatever was out here. Still…he might want to know about Quincies invading. I'm pretty sure the warning he sent last time was an ultimatum. If they came back here, then that means they're going to invade."

"Where is White anyway?" Nnoitra interrupted the conversation as he gave Grimmjow an uncertain look. The Sextra Espada shrugged, "I don't know…but I guess we should go find him. I think he said something about looking for Ulquiorra."

Moments later, a various arrival of individuals landed to investigate the source of the spiritual energy that the battle had no doubt been beaconing. Among them were Wonderweiss, Luppi, Grimmjow's Fracciones, and several other Numeros.

"What happened here?" Wonderweiss asked as he noticed the three Espada standing over the dead Sternritters. Nel reverted back to her humanoid form and was the first to respond, "Grimmjow apparently located some Quincy infiltrators. I came with Nnoitra and the others to investigate what was happening. We managed to kill them before they could escape."

"Where is White?" Wonderweiss asked looking at Grimmjow.

The blue haired man sighed, "Uhh, looking for Ulquiorra. I'm sure he'll turn up again pretty quickly."

"Well, regardless…In the meantime, we should really get back to Las Noches and call for an Espada meeting," Wonderweiss nodded.

"That's probably a good idea…if the Quincies came back again so soon, then we need to be prepared for their invasion," Nel nodded.

"What about that Shinigami they were supposedly looking for? Could they still be somewhere nearby?" Nnoitra wondered.

Grimmjow scoffed, "I don't sense a thing…but they did appear to be after something whenever I showed up. If there was a Shinigami here, then they're probably gone now. Still…it wouldn't hurt to be on high alert. If the Quincies can infiltrate Hueco Mundo this easily, then what's stopping the Shinigami?"

Wonderweiss looked down at the mutilated Quincies before turning towards Grimmjow, "It would be wise for us to bring these bodies back to Szayel's Laboratory. He might be able to discern useful information from the bodies."

"Well I'm not about to haul those Quincy corpses anywhere…" Grimmjow said carelessly as he put his hands in his pocket. Nel looked over at two nearby Numeros.

One appeared rather thin and blonde, whilst the other was more stocky. They both perked up alarmed as Nel looked at them. "I'd hate to ask, but do you two mind bringing those bodies to Szayel's Lab?"

"No need to ask them, I'll have my people do it. Hey guys!" Grimmjow yelled at his Fracciones, "Make yourselves useful and haul this heap of Quincy shit to that Lab."

"We'll take care of it, Grimmjow," Shaw Long responded before any of them could protest. The two arrancars Nel had asked previously, immediately stepped forward.

The thinner one shook his head, "No need, Dondochakka and I can handle this. It would be an honor to assist the great lady Neliel."

Nel giggled somewhat at the comment and shook her head, "I'm not really a 'great lady' but thank you nonetheless."

"You got that right…" Nnoitra muttered under his breath.

"Let's get back to Las Noches. I'm sure Ichigo won't be far behind us," Grimmjow motioned as the Espada all left.

All of the Numeros stood around the downed Quincies as they each wondered who was going to be the first to touch the bodies. Cirucci examined them more closely and cringed at the way Grimmjow's victims looked.

She shook her head, "Remind me never to piss off, Grimmjow…"

"Let's just get this over with…" Yylfordt sighed as he reached down first.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soifon XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Her heart was racing faster than it ever had before as she continued to run without stopping. Soifon hadn't even taken the time to look back and see if anyone had come after her. Finally unable to take another step, she stopped and hunched over gasping for air.

Her entire body burned, and the high of her adrenaline was drowning out most other senses. As she caught her breath, she tempted a look back and noticed nobody in pursuit. Her breathing began to slow as she continued to lower her heart rate.

The woman had never been this terrified before in her entire life. Between the hollows and the Quincies, she felt like somebody was going to jump up and catch her at any second. She looked down at the instrument on her wrist that Urahara had given her in order to leave Hueco Mundo. She quickly activated it as she looked back double checking that nothing was around.

As the Garganta opened, she turned forward again and was about to charge through it. Unfortunately, something was now in front of her. She shrieked in disbelief as she fell back onto the ground. She scrambled back in fear despite the fact that it was probably pointless.

In front of her was a black haired, green eyed hollow. The Arrancar looked down at her with an almost stoic carelessness. Ulquiorra said nothing as he simply blocked her escape through the Garganta. He made no movements to attack and didn't even bother to speak as he stared at the captain.

She felt truly hopeless now. Despite making it so far, she inevitably tripped at the finish line. There was no escaping Hueco Mundo now. She could finally breathe normally again and stood up. Soifon spoke after a long silence, "Nothing to say hollow?"

Ulquiorra said nothing as he briefly looked back at the Garganta Soifon was about to escape through.

"Come on! If you're going to kill me then just do it already!" She taunted. Ulquiorra simply began to walk forward without an spec of urgency or concern. Soifon slowly backed away as she tried to come up with a last minute miracle.

She continued to back away before a brilliant idea came to mind, '_If I lure him far enough away, I can double around him and make a break for the Garganta before it closes. I just need to lure him a little bit futher…What the hell?!_'

Soifon couldn't move back any further as she bumped into something that clearly wasn't there a second earlier. She already knew what it was before even looking, but couldn't stop herself from slowly stealing a peek back at the obstruction.

There stood none other than Ichigo. Soifon immediately gave up on any idea of escape and simply dropped to her knees in defeat. She held her head down shamefully, "You caught me…"

She felt Ichigo grab her arm and examine the strange device on her wrist, "So that's how you came to Hueco Mundo? This must be Captain Kurotsuchi's technology."

She remained frozen in fear, refusing to look up as Ichigo ripped the device from her wrist. He immediately crushed it in his hand forcing the Garganta to close.

Ulquiorra spoke for the first time after he broke it, "She couldn't have been here for very long. She must be a spy of some kind. The Haori is white beneath that sand-colored cloak. She's a captain."

Soifon didn't know what to do anymore and simply remained motionless in defeat. Ichigo examined her for a moment and nodded, "She matches the description of Captain Soifon."

Deciding her only option at this point was to withhold information, she feigned ignorance to Ichigo's knowledge about her, "How do you know my name, hollow?"

"I know the names of all captains now. Believe me when I say, we'll make sure to take down every last one of you before this war is over," Ichigo stated as he picked her up and through the captain over his shoulder.

If she hadn't been trained for the better part of her life to never cry then she probably would have been bawling her eyes out at this point. Soifon could only stare behind at where she had almost escaped as Ichigo and Ulquiorra made their way back to Las Noches.

Along the way, they passed the battlefield where the Quincies had been defeated. Ichigo noticed Soifon's attention turn that way.

As she stared at the devastation, Ichigo began to speak, "I imagine Grimmjow and the others killed those Quincy infiltrators. We show no mercy to spies. You're going to regret coming here, Captain Soifon."

"Don't even bother trying to torture me…the Stealth Corps is trained to never talk in the event of capture, and I'm the leader of it," she spat.

"We'll see about that…" Ichigo replied.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Upon arriving at Las Noches, Ichigo quickly ordered Ulquiorra to assemble the rest of the Espada. While the ebony haired hollow was doing so, Ichigo took Soifon to one of Las Noches' tower tops. Upon arriving, Ichigo tossed the woman off his shoulder and onto the ground.

She chose to remain in that position until Ichigo grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to a nearby edge. He held her over the side and spoke with a darkness matching his infamy, "Look out there, Captain Soifon, and tell me what you see."

"Hueco Mundo," she replied grimacing in pain. Being held by her hair over the ledge was more painful and uncomfortable than she would have ever imagined.

Ichigo shook his head, "No…that's not what you see. Try again!"

"A desert? Las Noches? I don't know what you want me to say!" she shot back.

"You know what I see? I see a legion of hollows willing to do anything to survive. Your kind in all your self-righteousness would have us slain. You hide in your Seireitei sitting high up on your thrones looking down on us. Who are you to pass judgment on my existence, Shinigami? Not you, your Captain-Commander or even the Soul King has the right to deny my existence!" Ichigo ranted.

Lifting Soifon back up he chucked her back onto the peak of the tower. She tried to stand up despite the pointlessness of her situation. She didn't want to die in such a pathetic way. As she got up, Ichigo grabbed her throat and held her over the edge again.

"You're going to tell me, why you're here, Shinigami…and what you know!" he demanded.

She stubbornly remained silent even though she knew it was unwise. She expected some kind of physical rebuke, but instead Ichigo simply dropped her over the edge. As she fell off the tower, panic began to ensue, '_Did he seriously drop me?! This wont' kill me though…_'

As she tried to fly, she soon found herself unable to, '_What is this?! I can't…my spiritual energy is depleted. Damn it…well at least I'll die before being tortured._'

As if the moment she thought it, she was caught mid air by Ichigo who threw her skyward. She flew at high speed way past the peak of the tower this time and high into the sky. As she reached peak altitude, she felt Ichigo grab her hair again before throwing her into the tower's peak. It left a considerable crater, but thankfully she didn't fly through the ceiling.

Ichigo landed nearby and knelt over her in the crater. She fearfully avoided his golden black gaze. Something about his eyes was truly frightening to her. Unfortunately, Ichigo forced her to look at him and gave the woman a hateful glare.

"Stop it, you damn monster! Your eyes are pure evil!" She struggled, trying to avoid the hollow's fearsome gaze. For some reason, he heard Karin's voice whenever Soifon said "monster."

"You're that afraid of me are you? Do you know what it's like to be a hollow? That's true terror. The emptiness…the hunger…the stife. They haunted me every waking second. You're blind." Ichigo said stoically.

She no longer said a word as malice radiated from her gaze, "Just kill me, you fiend! I'm not going to talk, and I don't care about anything you have to say!"

Ichigo let go of her allowing the woman to finally look away. She appeared very bitter and resentful. He simply looked at her and shook his head distastefully, "I'll ask you one last time, Captain Soifon…what do you see? I want you to remember…"

"A hollow abomination…" she muttered as fearlessly as she could. For some reason she now felt like inciting Ichigo so he would just finish her off.

Much to her surprise, Aizen's voice filled the air shortly after, "Ulquiorra mentioned you captured a Shinigami. So Captain Soifon infiltrated Hueco Mundo hmm?"

"Yeah…" Ichigo said with a distant look in his eyes. He appeared deep in thought much to Soifon and Aizen's confusion.

"I would be more than happy to take care of this, Ichigo…my former colleague is not quite as tough as she claims to be," Aizen explained.

Ichigo shook his head, "No…I have another idea. Do you have the Hogyoku with you, Sousuke?" Ichigo asked.

Aizen nodded, "Of course…what do you have in mind?"

"Killing these Shinigami isn't enough for me…they need to understand why we're killing them. Give me the Hogyoku," Ichigo asked outstretching his hand.

The suave Aizen slowly handed it to Ichigo and watched curiously as the Hollow King held it over Soifon. "I'm not going to kill you Shinigami…I'm not even going to interrogate you anymore. You're going to wake up tomorrow…"

She screamed in horror as Ichigo activated the Hogyoku's power causing a blinding light to overtake the petite Shinigami. After it subsided, Soifon felt a massive hole form below her throat. Her vision fled her as the last thing she saw was a beaming Aizen and an angry Ichigo.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Espada Meeting, Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo, along with Aizen, came through the doors into one of the many throne rooms of Las Noches where the rest of the Espada were all sitting around a conveniently placed table. Aizen took his seat at the very end closest to the empty throne that was no doubt reserved for Ichigo.

As he took his seat, Ichigo sighed in annoyance, "Alright…so as most of you know, the Quincies attacked earlier."

"Where the hell have you been? It's been hours!" Nnoitra grunted.

"I heard you captured a Shinigami spy, as well? What happened? Where is she now?" Harribel began to ask inquisitively.

"I dealt with her appropriately." Ichigo replied.

"Is she dead?" Lilynette piped up curiously.

Ichigo didn't bother responding much to everyone's confusion, but Aizen was quick to explain, "Ichigo believed the Soul Society needed to be taught an important lesson. Killing her would have been too simple. Instead, she will endure Hollowfication. I believe it was Ichigo's intention to demoralize the Soul Society further. Whatever information she may have gathered will be of little use in the long run. What she'll represent to them is far more beneficial to us."

"But…if she lives, couldn't she still go back to the Soul Society and tell them what she saw?" Grimmjow asked.

"And tell them what? If she does survive…she'll be a hollow, and the Soul Society will kill her itself. I commend this judgment, High-King." Barragan said resoundingly.

"Well I hope she saw our numbers…and knows that the Soul Society is doomed," Nnoitra nodded.

It took everything in Gin's being to not go wide-eyed at the news, '_She got captured after all…and that bastard used the Hogyoku on her? What will happen to her now? I wonder what the effect will be?_'

Tousen nodded in complete approval, "I implore your actions, White…the Soul Society could use a fair bit of Karma. Simple killing is not enough to always deliver justice. Captain Soifon was a lavish, self-righteous noble and her fate is well-deserved."

"Grimmjow does have a point though," Lilynette interjected.

"I don't care…" Ichigo spoke up, "I'd rather the Shinigami see for themselves the lengths I'm willing to go to in order to destroy the Soul Society. They'll never send another spy here after they see her. I can guarantee that."

"Haha! I admire you so much High-King!" Nnoitra laughed in approval.

Nel frowned slightly, "It seems cruel…but war is war I suppose."

"Don't show them pity…they won't show us any," Ulquiorra interrupted.

"Moving on…what do we know about these three quincies that were slain?" Barragan asked.

Grimmjow thought for a moment, "I don't know, but they all had that Vollstandig or whatever it was. I'm guessing they were Sternritters. I imagine the Wandenreich going to be pretty pissed off whenever those guys don't report back in."

"I foresee a full-scale Quincy invasion in the not too distant future. We're going to need to be ready for when they strike out at us," Harribel stated.

"What a hassle," Starrk yawned.

"That brings up another point…after several conversations with some of you, it's become clear to me, that in order for us to truly combat the Shinigami, we will need powers to match their bankais. A second form if you will. A Segunda Etapa…" Ichigo explained.

Everyone's eyes went wide, including Aizen's and Gin's. Harribel looked at Ichigo incredulously, "What makes you think we're even capable of a second form?"

"Ulquiorra and I have theorized the possibility, but it only makes sense. They have a shikai and a bankai. We have one Release," The hollow king stated.

Everyone seemed deep in thought as they wondered about the possibility of achieving such a form. Aizen was quick to reassure them of the possibility, "Considering the mirrored disparity between hollow and Shinigami, it is entirely possible. Shinigami achieve their bankais when they have a true understanding of their own Zanpakutos. Each of you should invest some time in your blades. They are a part of you…"

"Continue training your underlings as you have been, but each of us should try and find a way to unlock this new form. We will need them if we're going to survive. Should any of you make progress, help one another out," Ichigo said before standing up.

Everyone began to disperse shortly after, as they returned to their own business and training. Ichigo was eager to check in on Szayel and immediately made his way towards the lab.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soifon, Deep in the Desert XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The raven haired woman awoke in the desert of Hueco Mundo far away from Las Noches. She tried to figure out what was happening as she vaguely remembered being captured by Ichigo.

"What the hell happened to me?" She asked aloud trying to figure out where she was. There was nobody or nothing in all directions except for sand. She looked around with a sense of utter disbelief, before a familiar voice filled her ears, "Soifon, are you alright?! What happened to you?"

She looked behind herself and saw Yoruichi there much to her utter disbelief. Despite the resentment she still held, Soifon was in no position to complain as she immediately reached up and embraced the other woman, "Yourichi?! Is that really you?!"

"C'mon, let's get you out of here…we can talk later," Yoruichi tried to comfort the woman.

Soifon still couldn't fathom how she ended up back out in the desert, but she was relieved to see an ally. Yoruichi picked the petite captain up and opened up a nearby Garganta with her wrist device. The dark-skinned woman decided to create small talk as they passed through in order to alleviate some of Soifon's stress.

"It took me a while to find you. I scoured all over the desert and feared for the worst. Thank heaven you didn't get captured. You'll have to fill me in on what happened once we get back," Yoruichi explained.

"I-I did get captured…I escaped somehow I think," she tried to rationalize. There was no possible alternative…Ichigo wouldn't have simply dumped her out in the desert. She must have escaped. Maybe she got away after they left her in prison or something? She could vaguely remember Ichigo torturing her from before passing out.

Yoruichi was quick to notice the woman's duress, "Are you alright? Did anything happen out here?"

"What are you doing here, Yoruichi? Why would you come to this awful place?" Soifon asked faintly.

"I came to make sure you got back home…just relax now. You're safe," Yoruichi soothed.

Soifon shook her head, "He's too strong…too fast. He…they want to kill the Soul King. I need to speak to the Captain-Commander immediately!"

"Calm down! We'll talk about it once we get back to Squad 12. Kisuke and Kurotsuchi are both waiting for us I imagine."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Squad 12 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Upon exiting the other side of the Garganta, Mayuri, Kisuke, and Isshin all tensed up eagerly. They appeared relieved when they saw Soifon unharmed, though Urahara was quick to notice her lack of gear and Haori. There was no doubt in his mind that something had happened.

"Captain-Commander! I need to…speak to him immediately!" Soifon tried to sprint out of the lab. She was quickly blocked by Yoruichi's superior speed, and grabbed from behind by Isshin, who held her steady.

The dark-skinned Shinigami eyed her former apprentice urgently, "Something's wrong with her…I've never seen Soifon this…troubled."

"Bring her to the chair, I will perform a physical examination immediately," Mayuri stated without a shred of empathy. Soifon began to pant heavily as she was guided over towards the chair and sat down. Everyone stared at her alarmingly as the woman began to shake in her seat, "C'mon let me out of here! I have vital information!"

"Tell us and we'll pass it along…you need to relax. You're safe now, Soifon. Just…tell us what you saw and what happened," Urahara said in an uncharacteristically empathetic way.

She looked down at the ground and slowed her breathing, "I infiltrated as planned and spent most of the my espionage time observing the various hollows. They have countless arrancars now…and they all live in this giant palace called Las Noches. It's larger than the Seireitei."

"You're doing great so far…tell us what you learned about them? Is there any sort of hierarchy beneath White himself? What did they appear to be doing?" Urahara asked as Mayuri began with his examination.

Soifon normally would have been extremely opposed to the mad scientist even touching her, but was too traumatized in her recollections to really protest. She thought for a moment as she remembered the events leading up to her spying on Ichigo and Aizen.

"They have an elite council or something like that called the Espada. There's ten of them. They're the strongest hollows. I…I managed to eavesdrop on White and Aizen while I was there. They…they're talking about killing the Soul King, and Aizen told White all about the captains! Aizen was teaching him…and they trained I think. They acted like they were friends," Soifon ranted almost incoherently.

Yoruichi's eyes widened, "Aizen and White are friends you say?"

Isshin's eyes lit up with anger, but he restrained himself in order to prevent traumatizing Soifon further. The Stealth Force Captain shook her head, "I'm pathetic…leader of the Stealth Corps…Captain of the Soul Society. I was so powerless there…Quincies they-they showed up and tried to capture me, but then the hollows started fighting them. I ran for my life…tried to escape, but they captured me."

"They captured you?!" Urahara gasped. He was immediately beginning to understand what was wrong with Soifon now.

The man looked towards Yoruichi urgently, "Where did you say you found her?"

"Out in the middle of the desert…" she replied.

"She's missing everything I sent her with…" Urahara noted.

"I-I escaped! And collapsed I think…" she concluded.

"She's still got her Zanpakuto...it might be possible," Isshin noted.

Mayuri immediately pressed her head down as he held a light over her eyes, "Kisuke Urahara come look at this…"

Everyone crowded around the scientist as they noticed an unusual blackness filling Soifon's sclera. Her dark brown irises appeared to flash in a luminescent glow as they got brighter and more golden. Judging by the looks of absolute horror coming from her allies, Soifon knew something was terribly wrong.

She immediately reached for a nearby mirror and shrieked in terror, "What the hell?! My eyes?! They're like _his_!?"

"Hold her down before she escapes…she's hollowfying," Mayuri commanded. Isshin and Yoruichi reluctantly held Soifon down as she began to writhe furiously, "No! This can't be happening! Let me go!"

Her voice got progressively more echoic as she began to growl. Suddenly her memories came back to her as she remembered what Ichigo had done before she passed out. The hole from before reappeared below her throat as she began to vomit white reishi. Before long a black and white mask with golden streaks formed over her face.

"Kisuke do something!" Yoruichi shouted at her long time friend.

Urahara seemed greatly troubled by this turn of events, "There's not much I can do without the Hogyoku…but we're going to have to suppress her power forcibly."

"Meaning?" Yoruichi snapped.

"We're going to have to beat her unconscious…" Kisuke said slowly.

Unable to control herself anymore, Soifon instinctively broke free from her restraint and Shunpo'd out the door faster than even Yoruichi could track.

"We need to go after her! The last thing we need right now is everyone finding out about this!" Isshin announced as he bolted out the door.

Yoruichi turned towards Kisuke and Mayuri, "I can't believe this…find out something we can do. Isshin and I will go catch her."

"Good luck…she's probably twice as fast with hollow powers," Mayuri said dryly. He didn't appear all that fazed by the situation but was deep in thought.

"Urahara…you're the '_expert_' in this field. I suggest you get to work immediately. I will go ahead and inform the Captain-Commander of the situation," Mayuri said mockingly before leaving.

Meanwhile, Yoruichi and Isshin had finally managed to corner Soifon as they both charged in different angles. Soifon released a deafening hollow shriek as they apprehended her much to their displeasure. It seemed to set the Soul Society on high alert as countless Shinigami began to flock towards the scene.

Chief amongst them was Kyouraku who was at a loss for words when he saw that the hollow shriek had originated from a masked woman that was undoubtedly Soifon.

"Somebody go find Captain Hirako, right away," Kyouraku urgently commanded one of his underlings.

As more and more Shinigami flocked to the scene, Soifon felt her senses drowning out again. The last thought on her mind was one of complete shame, '_What have they done to me?! I'm…a hollow?!_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yeah I updated finally…yay. Sorry it took so long, but I've just been super preoccupied with work and school. Though thankfully I don't have a full time job anymore so I'll have plenty more time to update regularly again. So rejoice! Huzzah! Cheers! And all that good stuff.

Anyway, I hope this chapter was worth the ridiculously long wait that I forced you people to endure. I'm like the fanfiction version of George R.R. Martin when it comes to writing. You know…except without the money and articulation in writing. Nevertheless, let us discuss what happened this chapter.

Be honest…did you guys think Soifon was home free for minute? That poor woman tripped at the finish line. What will happen to her now? How will the Soul Society deal with her fate? What do you think is coming next?

Grimmjow was one merciless killing machine wasn't we? Sorry if that was a bit gruesome for some people, but I wanted to express just how angry our favorite blue beast was. The hollows have delivered first blood against the Quincies in this war. How will the Wandenreich react? How will everyone achieve their second release? Plenty of that and more coming soon.

Ichigo is certainly having some darker tendencies now that the war is kicking into motion. What will he and Szayel concoct in that vile laboratory of evil and science…and stuff?

On a side note, I just wanted to thank all the people that reviewed and messaged me about the story. I'm glad a considerable portion of you are enjoying this fic, and I hope to continue building it as best I can. Thanks for reading and supporting me.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Righteous Side of Hell**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Wandenreich, Silbern XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Today was the day, Yuzu would receive her Schrift. Unfortunately, the previous night had been one lacking in sleep. Ever since she witnessed the video of Ichigo in his full hollow form, she was unable to erase it from her mind. To top that off, she felt paranoid about letting her guard down after Giselle's previous invasion of her room.

She had sat awake all night, fearfully wondering what was in store for her, and was now on her way towards the Quincy Emperor's chamber. Currently, she was following Hachwalth who had been there to escort her first thing today. It made no sense to her at all. Why did Yhwach consider her worthy of a Schrift? What would having this power entail? Would she be expected to kill? Was she ever going to see home again? She could barely describe the anxiety and dread that amplified with each encroaching step. Each doubt weighed her heart down more and more as they progressed closer and closer.

Yuzu didn't want to be a Sternritter, but given her current situation, and the fact that she was being trained, it was obvious that she had no choice. What would Ichigo say if he encountered her? Would that creature in the video kill her or save her?

Her breathing began to speed up as the doorway was finally in sight. Haschwalth noticed her fearful demeanor and stopped momentarily, "Calm yourself, Yuzu Kurosaki. Your friend has already received his Schrift."

The Kurosaki teen eyed Uryu who exited the chamber with a resolute seriousness. He quickly met her gaze and sent her a reassuring nod, "Don't be afraid Kurosaki…it'll increase your power. I'll talk to you later. We haven't really gotten a chance to since coming here."

Yuzu gulped as Uryu took his leave. Haschwalth motioned for Yuzu to go inside, before closing the doors to the chamber behind her. She slowly made her way over to Yhwach who was seated on a throne. The teenager looked around cautiously before meeting Yhwach's stern gaze. He noticed her uncertainty and finally spoke, "Despite the fact that you aren't a pure-blood, your Quincy powers are strong and rapidly developing. The small seed of power that you were born with has bloomed rapidly in such a short amount of time."

She had no idea what to say in response and simply nodded at Yhwach. He took in her reaction for a moment before continuing, "Today, I bestow upon you a Schrift of your own."

"Why do you want me to be a Sternritter?" Yuzu finally found the courage to ask. Partly it was her attempt to delay the inevitable, but she was truly curious.

"I see great potential within you. Like young Uryu, I foresee that you will make a mighty Quincy within my Wandenreich. I can sense your doubts, but fear not Yuzu Kurosaki…your life has great meaning to me," Yhwach explained.

"I'm sorry for asking Yhwach-sama, but what will I be expected to do as a Sternritter?" Yuzu asked as carefully and respectfully as possible.

The Quincy Emperor tilted his head as if deep in thought, "What is it that you're afraid of doing as a Sternritter?"

His question was unexpected, and Yuzu quickly tried to think of something to say. Unfortunately she didn't get the chance before Yhwach spoke again, "I know you're young and innocent…but you must understand what an honor it is to stand at my side as one of my elite knights. I will expect a multitude of things from you. You will be expected to train regularly…to fight…and even kill should the need arise. I will also require your aid in securing an alliance with Hueco Mundo. I would prefer that your brother join us in our crusade to purge the Shinigami."

Yuzu wanted to ask what if Ichigo refused, but she knew it was probably a bad idea. Instead she shuffled around nervously, "What will this Schrift do to me? What is it?"

"Due to the nature of your powers, I grant you the Schrift of L for Light. Accept it with honor, young Yuzu," Yhwach stated as he held up his hand, which now glowed a faint blue. She felt an unusual influx of energy as a bright light surrounded her. After it subsided, she looked around uncertainly, "Is it over?"

Yhwach smiled admirably, "Yes, the ceremony is complete…you will find your Schrift to be extremely powerful in time. It is without a doubt, one of the most powerful Schrifts I have ever bestowed upon a Sternritter. Wield it with honor…you may go now, Sternritter L."

"I thought all of the Schrifts were taken? Am I the only L?" Yuzu wondered.

Yhwach shook his head, "There can be multiples of a letter, but typically it isn't common for me to do. However, the other Sternritter L is expendable, where as you are not. Your Schrift and your position are unique here."

"I don't feel any different. What is this light power supposed to do anyways?" Yuzu wondered.

The Quincy Emperor stared for a moment before answering, "Light affects everything, Yuzu Kurosaki. Your powers will only be limited to your understanding of light itself. To bend it…create it…remove it…condense it…to control others' perception of it. You will soon see for yourself. You may go now. Talk to Haschwalth if you wish to speak with me again and he will bring you here."

"Thank you Yhwach-sama," Yuzu decided to bow. She wasn't sure if this was an appropriate custom, but the Quincy leader didn't seem to care as she quickly took her leave. Upon exiting Yhwach's chamber, she was immediately met by Haschwalth who was standing nearby.

The blonde looked at her stoically, "What is your Schrift?"

"L for Light…" Yuzu answered slowly as she stood still unsure if it was appropriate to leave or not.

Haschwalth simply nodded before waving her along, "You may go, Kurosaki…I believe Bazz B was looking for you. He is waiting near your room."

"O-okay," she replied as she hastily took her leave. Yuzu's mind was racing at the events that just transpired. Was she actually a Sternritter now? The whole ceremony didn't seem to change her all that much, but she would take Yhwach's word for it that her powers would manifest soon.

Upon reaching her room, she was greeted by an anxious looking Bazz B. The man had a look of concern on his face likely already aware of her receiving a Schrift. He didn't speak as she approached, much to her surprise.

She chose to break the silence as she waved at him, "Morning Bazz B, how are you?"

"So…is it official? You are actually a Sternritter now?" He asked still not believing it.

"Y-yes…L for Light," Yuzu replied softly.

"Light?! Woah…I wonder what that does. What did Yhwach say to you?" he couldn't help but ask.

Yuzu frowned, "He said my position here was important to him and that he wants my help getting Ichigo to join forces…"

'_Go_ _figure…you'd make an excellent shield against the hollows now that you're one of us. I wonder why he gave her that power though. Light could be anything_…' Bazz B thought to himself.

"C'mon, let's go train, Kurosaki," he waved.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Soifon XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Everyone stared with utter disbelief at the petite Shinigami Captain who now wore a hollow mask. She looked back and forth between Isshin and Yoruichi disbelievingly, "Let go of me!"

"Is that…Captain Soifon?!" a random Shinigami shouted disbelievingly. His announcement seemed to incite quite a few people into an uproar. Their faces were mixture of fear and confusion.

Kyouraku was quick to calm the crowd down as he held up his hand, "Calm down everyone, stand back! We'll attend to this. I don't want anyone getting hurt."

His seriousness was very uncharacteristic which led many of the lower ranked Shinigami to silently panic. Nevertheless, the crowd backed away slowly, while still trying to get a good look at the Hollowfied captain.

"How is this possible? What happened to her?" a higher seated Shinigami with a bald head asked. It was none other than Ikkaku. His quick response to the scene was also followed by Soifon's own lieutenant Omaeda.

The hefty lieutenant gawked with sheer horror, "C-c-captain?! What in the world happened?! Captain Kyouraku what's going on?!"

"Stand back! We're going to subdue her, let the captains handle this!" Isshin ordered the several encroaching onlookers.

Soifon took this opportunity to break free from his and Yoruichi's hold as she blinked away. "What the?" Yoruichi gasped, barely believing the woman's speed.

Soifon unleashed the infamous hollow shriek as she landed atop a nearby building. Her mask was fully formed now and she no longer seemed to be in control. Yoruichi appeared behind her and attempted a leg sweep, but quickly found herself tripping instead.

As she fell, Soifon grabbed the other woman and flung her into a nearby building. A sadistic hiss escaped the hollow captain's mouth as she cautiously looked around at the incoming wave of shocked Shinigami. Soifon held her hand up and formed a large yellow cero.

Everyone's eyes widened as they instantly realized what it was. "Captain, don't do it! This isn't you!" Omaeda pleaded. Soifon immediately focused her charging cero at her lieutenant and fired it.

"Move!" Isshin shouted as he pulled Omaeda out the line of fire. As it flew his way, it demolished quite a few buildings behind them. Kyouraku seemed greatly troubled as he stood there thinking for a practical solution.

Meanwhile, Soifon was leaping around unleashing cero after cero into the new arrivals. Many dove into cover, while others hid behind Yoruichi and Isshin. Yoruichi gritted her teeth angrily, "Damn…this is going to cause another scene. So much for avoiding trouble. Isshin, we need to deal with her before the Captain Commander gets here. I don't want anybody to kill her by mistake."

"Kisuke better be working on some kind of solution…" Isshin muttered as he got into a battle stance.

The petite hollow glared between the two of them alertly, instinctively recognizing them as her greatest threat at the moment. Ukitake was next to arrive on the scene and shared a similar reaction to many of the onlookers, "What has happened here? How did another hollow infiltrate the Seireitei?!"

"Watch out Captain Ukitake! That's Captain Soifon!" Omaeda was quick to announce.

"Captain Soifon a hollow?" the white haired man gasped. He was clearly not expecting that bit of news as he gawked at the masked Soifon.

"I'm afraid so…" Kyouraku replied somewhat distraught by the whole situation. Unohana arrived moments later, having heard the commotion.

She seemed just as surprised by the fate of Soifon, "What in the world?"

"Rah!" Soifon hissed as she began to run away. She dove through the allies of the Seireitei and swiftly attempted to flee the scene. Many of the higher seated Shinigami, including all present captains followed.

They seemed to be lagging behind as she got progressively further and further away. Yoruichi was quick to announce the obvious, "I can't catch her…she's too fast!"

Isshin, who was struggling to keep up with Yoruichi growled in response, "Where the hell is she even going?"

Kyouraku was not far behind them and quickly cut in as he got closer, "Looks like the Squad One barracks…we might be able to corner her if we split up."

"I'll go the long way!" Yoruichi immediately volunteered, "You two keep chasing her."

As Yoruichi broke off from the group, she shunpo'd as quickly as possible to move into an intercept position. The chase continued for another couple minutes until Soifon had finally reached the Squad One barracks.

She momentarily stopped and noticed the large mob of Shinigami chasing her. Soifon climbed the nearby building as fast as possible and began to leap over the rooftops as they got closer. As she got a considerable distance airborne, Yoruichi managed to spear her from an adjacent blind spot quickly pinning her to the ground.

Everyone began to surround the two as Yoruichi did her best to hold Soifon still. "Bakudo Number 4: Hainawa!" Ukitake and Unohana both seemed to say almost in sync.

They each restrained her with an energy rope allowing Yoruichi a chance to grapple the hollowfied captain from behind. The dark-skinned woman put Soifon in a sleeper hold as the two captains wrapped their ropes around her arms and pulled them wide.

Finally arriving to help was Shinji, who seemed all too familiar with what was going on. The reinstated Visored captain gritted his teeth angrily when he saw Soifon writhing like a beast.

"We need to put her down before somebody gets hurt," Unohana stated seriously as she tightened her Hainawa.

"No, we can help her, we just need to-" Shinji began, but was immediately silenced when Kensei appeared out of nowhere delivering a powerful punch to Soifon's mask.

Her mask cracked from the punch, and the woman herself seemed completely dazed from the hit. Kensei growled angrily as he cracked his knuckles, "That bastard Aizen!"

"This is no doubt the work of the Hogyoku…how did she get back to the Soul Society in this condition?" Unohana demanded.

"She returned through the Garganta acting strange, but this hollowfication didn't happen until Captain Kurotsuchi examined her," Isshin explained.

"Wait a minute…are you saying that the hollows sent her back like this?!" Ukitake gawked.

Soifon seemed to regain her bearings and immediately began to pull against the restraints the captains put on her. Unohana and Ukitake struggled with their ropes momentarily, before a yellow flash blinded everyone present.

As it subsided Soifon appeared a short distance away and now had a yellow glow radiating from her body. She looked down at her sheathed Zanpakuto and immediately drew it much to everyone's shock. Her voice spoke with the infamous hollow echo, "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!"

"That's impossible…how did she release her Zanpakuto?!" Kensei demanded.

Shinji shook his head utterly confused, "How could she do it if she has no control over her mind?"

Wind seemed to pick up as Soifon gathered spiritual energy around her body. She soon began to blink around everyone leaving dozens of afterimages. While doing so, Soifon managed to sting several nearby Shinigami before knocking down several others.

Her dance of death was finally interrupted when Yoruichi and Kensei managed to pin her down again. The white haired captain held her stinger hand whilst Yoruichi moved in for another sleeper hold.

"Hold her still!" Urahara announced as he finally arrived. Yoruichi prayed that the man had some kind of solution and was thankful when she noticed Urahara inject Soifon with some strange type of serum. He immediately backed away pulling out the needle and watched anxiously as she got less and less aggressive.

Her Shikai quickly receded and her hollow mask began to dissipate as well. As the white reishi mask practically melted off her face, Soifon's hollow hole partially refilled causing her to pass out.

After she finally stopped moving, everyone stared at Urahara expecting an immediate explanation. He was quick to pick up on their confusion and explained the situation, "It would seem Aizen used the Hogyoku on Captain Soifon. It had a delayed effect for some reason, but I understand why now…"

"Are you kidding me?! What the hell happened to her? I thought she was hollowfied. What did you inject her with?" Shinji demanded.

"It's the same thing I used on you guys after Aizen infected you. It's a heavy drug that nullifies thoughts and emotions. Increased stress stimulates the hollow survival instinct, which in turn leads to irreversible hollowfication. If that happens, the soul can very easily reject it and be in danger of Soul-Suicide. She'll be unconscious for while, but if she regains consciousness she'll probably re-hollowfy," Urahara explained.

"Is there anything you Visoreds can do to help her?" Kyouraku asked Shinji.

Shinji shook his head uncertainly, "I am not really the expert on this…we have no idea what the nature of her transformation even is. The fact that she can willfully release her Zanpakuto while under that state of mind is surprising."

"Well Old man Yama is sure going to be salty about this…" Kyouraku shook his head already imagining the scenario ahead of time.

"Why would the hollows send her back like this? If they captured her, why not simply kill the captain? Tactically, it doesn't make any sense…" Omaeda panted having finally reached the group a minute prior.

Unohana shook her head sadly, "That should be pretty obvious at this point…it's a message."

"A message?! What the hell kind of message is this?" Omaeda gawked.

"One meant insult the nature of the Soul Society itself. Captain Soifon was very vigilant in her role as a Shinigami. To defile her into a hollow is to insult the Gotei 13 to its very core. The hollows have always been merciless to trespassers and spies in their world…but this is an act of spite. One meant to incite fear on any who would dare challenge them," Unohana elaborated.

Shinji shook his head, "That bastard Aizen will pay for this…"

"How did things ever come to this? When did Captain Soifon even leave the Soul Society Ikkaku asked.

Urahara sighed, "She volunteered to go on a reconnaissance mission to Hueco Mundo."

"Did she at least bring back any useful information?" Ukitake wondered.

Yoruichi nodded, "Yeah she did…Soifon mentioned something about Aizen teaching White all of our secrets and that they were talking about killing the Soul King."

"What?! The Soul King?! That's absurd!" Shinji blurted out shocked.

"Well this changes things…it also might explain why Aizen wanted a hollow army," Kyouraku noted.

"Did she mention anything else?" Unohana asked Yoruichi.

"I believe she said something about them having an elite council called the Espada. I can't remember if she mentioned how many of them there were…" Yoruichi continued.

Unohana's eyes widened, "What?! Are you…are you sure that's what she said?"

"You alright Captain Unohana?" Ukitake asked concerned.

She nodded briefly, "Yes…please continue Captain Yoruichi."

"She mentioned Quincies were there as well, and that the hollows fought them. I'm not entirely certain on the details about that…" Yoruichi trailed off.

Isshin sighed heavily as he spoke up, "Those Quincies she spoke of might be the Wandenreich. An old friend of mine named Ryuken Ishida is a Quincy survivor. He spoke to me about a militant regime of pure-blood survivors that tried to recruit him and his son."

"The Wandenreich? Quincies?! Are you serious?! Hollows are bad enough…now we've got Quincies to worry about too?!" Omaeda deadpanned.

"Make way, all of you!" Yamamoto announced causing everyone, minus Unohana and Isshin to pucker up attentively. Kurotsuchi was trailing behind the bearded old man which was a clear indicator that the Captain-Commander was already fully aware of the situation.

He shook his head in disgust as he looked down at the unconscious Soifon, "What is the fate of Captain Soifon? Will she live?"

"Well that's hard to say…considering the nature of her condi-" Urahara began.

"Will she live?!" Yamamoto repeated.

"Well her hollowfication might still be reversible…but if it isn't, she could possibly die to Soul Suicide or end up permanently a hollow." Urahara answered immediately.

Shinji quickly stepped forward and spoke up, "If we have your permission, Captain-Commander, the Visoreds might be able to help her."

"Restrain her immediately…once she is secured, I want all seated officers assembled for a meeting. We will discuss what to do about her then. Dismissed!" Yamamoto commanded.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Szyael's Lab XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo stormed through the halls of Las Noches as he made his way towards Szayel's Lab. The Hollow King was not particularly happy to say the least. His mind was heavily focused on the inevitable Quincy invasion, which left him to wonder if Hueco Mundo would be ready.

Upon arriving, he noticed Yylfordt and Szayel both discussing the quincy invaders. The blonde shook his head, "I didn't get to see everything, but they had this strange ascended state called a Vollstandig I believe. It gave them wings and a considerable power boost."

"A Vollstandig you say? Hmm…that's unusual. Can you elaborate on the nature of this battle state? I'm curious about the properties involved in its use," Szayel requested thoughtfully.

Yylfordt shrugged, "It's…not really something I know how to explain. It looked as if they were mainly using Reishi to power all of their abilities. Although, I've never seen it on that level before. Quincies are a mystery."

"Well, it's good we have these samples here to work with," Szyael noted as he turned around and examined the three disfigured Quincy bodies each resting on separate operating tables. The pink-haired scientist shook his head as he looked at the decapitated Kirge, "it would have been a waste had Grimmjow destroyed them entirely."

Deciding to announce his arrival, Ichigo walked into the lab, "Have you had a chance to identify the bodies yet, Szayel? Is there anything relevant we can learn from their corpses?"

"Ah, King White, good to see you! Yes in fact there was something interesting I noticed…besides their abnormal abundance of spiritual power, these Quincies appear otherwise human. Biologically and spiritually, they're pretty much humans with spiritual power," Szayel answered as Ichigo came in to observe the bodies.

Yylfordt cocked his head uncertainly, "What about the machine one? It didn't appear very human to me."

Szayel walked over towards the heavily damaged BG9 and looked over it, "I haven't had a chance to really dissect any of them yet, but this one is rather curious. He seems to be a hybrid of machine and man…the ratio is debatable. Still…he had to be alive in some way, otherwise how else would he absorb Reishi so easily?"

"If this thing is mostly machine, are you sure it's even dead yet? Neliel didn't destroy it entirely," Yylfordt asked as he leaned over to examine the cybernetic Quincy.

His eyes widened surprised as he spotted a faint red glow coming from beneath the helmet of the Quincy, "Hey, there's a light over here…"

Szayel focused on the red glow that seemed to be getting brighter, "Hmm…that appears to be an optical sensor of some kind. A mechanical eye perhaps? Let me activate the security restraints."

Reaching over towards a nearby panel, Szayel pushed several buttons causing countless restraints to shoot out and over the Quincy. Szayel continued pressing buttons, "I should probably activate the magnetic cables just to be safe…"

"What the hell are you doing, Szayel?" Yylfordt cocked his head in confusion. His question was quickly answered when BG9 attempted to get up from the operating table. The countless restraints immediately ripped the cyborg back down.

"This thing appears to be alive still…excellent!" Szayel laughed excitedly.

Ichigo's eyes widened somewhat surprised, "It's still alive?"

The hollow King walked over towards the table and looked down at the straining BG9 for a moment. After a brief examination, Ichigo spoke, "Who and what are you Quincy?"

The cyborg didn't respond as it continued to struggle against the magnetic cables holding it down to the table. A faint blue glow of Reishi surrounded BG9 as it attempted to absorb nearby spiritual energy.

This was quickly halted as Szayel activated some kind of electric current over the restraints. The Sternritter shook wildly before ceasing its actions. "It seems to recognize pain. This being is indeed bio-mechanical. I've overloaded the mechanical circuits for now, it won't be going anywhere."

"Who are you, Quincy and what was your mission here?" Ichigo asked seriously.

BG9 didn't respond again as he expected which immediately prompted Ichigo to reach down and tear off one its chest plates. Underneath, he could see a strange meshing of organic and mechanical looking tissue and tendrils.

"Please stand back, High King. I will find this thing's pain receptors and turn them to maximum setting. I'll make it talk. Yylfordt, make yourself useful and plug that harpoon looking cable into its neck. I'm going to connect this spinal wire and download its memory banks."

"I had no idea you were this good with mechanics," Yylfordt replied as he quickly set BG9 up to the nearby console, "you always came off as the biologist to me."

"I'm well-established in all manners of science thank you very much. High King White, I'll have this thing prepared for interrogation shortly. I'll send Yylfordt to fetch you whenever we're ready. You don't have to wait around if you have other things to do," Szayel said casually as he sinisterly began to rework BG9's interior.

"Will you be alright in here?" Ichigo confirmed as he looked down at the cybernetic Quincy which was now crying out in pain.

"Perfectly…how's that sync going Yylfordt?" the pink haired man asked anxiously.

Yylfordt glanced over shaking his head, "It's not working. Something is preventing it…this thing isn't like a computer. I don't know how to hack its brain."

"Hmm, damn. We'll figure this out, White. I'll call you," Szayel reiterated as he began to double check Yylfordt's work.

"Maybe Zommari could help with this…he's got that Amor ability. It might prove useful," Yylfordt suggested.

"Ah good idea, big brother…you mind finding him for me?" Szayel asked as he continued tinkering with BG9's interior.

"Yeah I'll go find him…" Yylfordt sighed.

"Alright then…I'll check back later," Ichigo nodded as he left the lab.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ulquiorra, outskirts of Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After Ichigo's previous encouragement for all the Espada to achieve a second form, Ulquiorra had been hard at work training in the empty outskirts of Hueco Mundo. He was extremely far away from Las Noches, almost near the pit he once called home.

Usually he would never venture out this far, but Ulquiorra didn't want any distractions. He also didn't want to risk accidentally killing his allies with friendly fire. He had been training frequently ever since becoming an Arrancar, but only now was the severity of its importance truly reaching him.

He knew that Ichigo and the others had great power and knowledge. They all had the capability to achieve a higher state…but many of them were busy and distracted. Ichigo in particular was usually so busy managing the other hollows, that there was almost no chance he would be able to properly train. It was for this reason, that Ulquiorra knew what he had to do.

He had to make headway with achieving a second release in order to assist his allies. War was just on the horizon, and Ulquiorra wanted to be ready for it. It was clear to him that Ichigo couldn't do everything by himself and the cero espada himself was aware of it. The infamous hollow King had been driving a solid point home for everyone lately and that was the importance of everyone doing their part.

It was something Ulquiorra always found interesting about Ichigo. Despite his overwhelming power, Ichigo saw the importance of unity, delegation, and trust. These things could be seen in the countless actions the orange haired arrancar had done. Ichigo personally took time to inspire and train the lower ranked hollows. He encouraged a loyalty amongst the powerful hollows as well. The odds of Grimmjow and Barragan ever coexisting was impossible without Ichigo being in charge. The odds of Starrk and Harribel serving somebody besides Ichigo was also unlikely. Even Ulquiorra himself couldn't picture this unified Hueco Mundo without its mighty High King.

This was an invaluable fact that Ulquiorra had only recently began to fully understand. Ichigo was building trust and unity within Hueco Mundo. He was trying to encourage everyone to contribute to the betterment of hollows no matter how strong or weak they were. That's why he personally took the time to develop trust amongst the ranks. The only downside was that Ichigo had to shoulder the burden of leadership.

Ulquiorra sighed as he focused his attention back on training, '_Ichigo is counting on all of us to do our parts. I won't fail him…I will achieve a second release._'

He began to theory craft in his head about what a second release could even be, '_The Shinigami have a shikai and a bankai. They all seem to have Shikais, but only the most powerful ones have a bankai. Their bankais are usually large and powerful. That dark haired captain with the hairpiece had pink bladed flower pedals used his against me. If I remember correctly, there was a lot of more of pedals between his shikai and bankai states. He also appeared to have greater control over them. Then there's the large captain with the wolf face…his bankai was a giant suit of armor that copied his movements. Also…the white haired boy with the ice form. I wonder…are second releases more elemental in nature? Perhaps some are…but they are all undeniably larger and in most cases more primal. The increased control over them is also a matter of interest._'

Ulquiorra sat down overlooking the landscape as he continued to brainstorm, '_That captain, Gin Ichimaru, that came with us had an unusual bankai. His sword grew in length and cut down everything nearby us in the Menos Forest. Perhaps the nature of a bankai is an enhanced refinement of a shikai that embodies a Shinigami's full power. In that case, a second release would resemble something more closely resembling our hollow forms. As Aizen stated, our blades are a part of us. Our release states combine hollow and Shinigami forms…but to go beyond that would mean completely embodying what our Zanpakutos are_.'

His eyes widened as if an epiphany had just hit him, '_I would essentially need to become Murcielago_.'

The thought of becoming his Zanpakuto was quite strange, but it did make sense in a general overview. The Zanpakuto was their hollow powers sealed into a blade. If he could tap into the foundation of his hollow and combine it with his Shinigami powers, he could achieve a perfect hybrid state in which he embodies hollow and Shinigami power as one. Simultaneously wielding opposing powers is what made arrancars more powerful than typical hollows or Shinigami. It was, as Aizen would put it, a transcendent state of being. The only downside to this is that the hollows would have to become more like Shinigami.

Nevertheless, it was clear to him what he had to do. Ulquiorra had to become Murcielago, and not just release its powers. He sat there for what felt like hours as he motionlessly meditated on the nature of his being. Ulquiorra knew what he had to do the longer he thought about it…he had to go back to the place he was born, and remember.

Standing up, he sighed heavily, '_I know that Ichigo never wanted me to go back there, but I believe I have to. Murcielago is still obscure to me._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Las Noches, Harribel XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The blonde Espada, Tia Harribel, had been thinking about recent events ever since the Espada meeting. Her thoughts had been distant and heavy lately as she tried to comprehend Ichigo's recent demeanor. '_He appears to be deeply concerned about the Quincies…even more so than the Shinigami. I wonder if what he said is truly possible…could we really achieve a second release state?_'

"Excuse me, mistress, but are you feeling okay?" Sung-sun asked concerned. Harribel was currently in her chambers along with Sung-sun and Mila Rose. Her two Fracciones appeared exhausted from their day's training.

Using examples learned from Ichigo, she had been training them constantly and worked to refine their combat skills. Her mind couldn't help but wander at the thought of Ichigo for a moment, '_None of this would have been possible without him. It's funny thinking back on the past…I never would have imagined this being possible. I mean Barragan and I as allies? Hueco Mundo united? It all feels so surreal…even now. Plus we're all arrancars…I guess that Aizen guy isn't too bad after all. Despite being a Shinigami, he's delivered on his promise to help us. White really seems to trust him…I wonder if I should as well?_'

"Lady Harribel? What's wrong?" Mila Rose added.

The blonde was quickly drawn from her thoughts as she glanced over at the bodacious Mila Rose, "Nothing, I'm fine. I was just thinking about what White said at our last meeting."

"What did Ichigo say?!" Mila Rose piped up anxiously. Sung-sun seemed to share her curiosity as she moved in closer and sat down.

The snake arrancar covered her mouth with her sleeve, "Are you sure that's appropriate to ask, Mila Rose? Lady Harribel would have mentioned it to us if it was important."

"Well…sorry then," Mila Rose stammered somewhat shamefully as she backed away from Harribel.

The blonde shook her head, "Don't be sorry, I have no qualms about telling you. White just talked about the Quincies and seemed pretty concerned with them. He seems even more concerned about this Wandenreich than the Soul Society. He told the Espada that we needed more power, and that we should try to work on achieving a second release form."

"A what?! Is that even possible?!" Mila Rose gasped, "I mean where the hell did that idea even come from?"

"Well it's quite interesting if you think about it, really," Sung-sun interrupted, "the Shinigami have two sword states for their Zanpakutos."

"Yeah but…aren't our Resurreccions like their bankais?" Mila Rose asked.

Harribel shrugged, "We're not exactly sure as to the full nature of the Shinigami Zanpakutos, but Aizen seemed to think it was possible when Ichigo mentioned it. I just don't really know what else we could do. My power feels mostly capped anyway…"

"That's nonsense, Harribel…there is no such thing as capped power," a fourth voice came from the open doorway. All three women looked over and spotted none other than Barragan.

The older man seemed to be radiating an aura of displeasure, but that was hardly anything new. Harribel glanced at him somewhat surprised, "What brings you here, Barragan?"

"It's not just him…we're here too!" Lilynette's voice sounded as she came around the corner. Starrk stood further away as he casually leaned against the wall.

Harribel stood up and walked over towards the door examining her fellow Espada curiously, "Starrk and Lilynette? What are you three all doing here?"

"Well, Starrk's been pretty lazy lately and won't train at all. He says he's strong enough and doesn't see the point of training. So…I went and got the old guy here to chew his ass out. Starrk didn't want to listen, but after awhile I managed to convince him that he should spar with, Barragan since he's actually stronger…supposedly. Then I thought, we should train with you too since you're the next strongest hollow besides us. I was gonna get Ulquiorra as well, but I couldn't find him," Lilynette explained.

Starrk sighed heavily, "It's not like I was being lazy. I was too strong to train with anyone else. Honestly, I don't mind training, but I didn't really know what to do about this Second release. I figured I'd sleep over it and maybe it would come to me in a dream."

"Yeah right! You hearing this guy?!" Lilynette laughed at Starrk's excuse, "you were just looking for an excuse to sleep! C'mon, Starrk! I know you were just too shy to ask one of the other Espada to train with. That's why I had to do it for you. And would you look at that? Pops agreed, and Harribel probably will too!"

"How did you convince these two of all people to train?" Harribel wondered as she looked between the aloof Starrk and serious Barragan.

"Well, I wasn't really a fan of the idea, but Barragan did agree to Lilynette's suggestion. I only really agreed to this because our Primera here said he'd do it," Starrk shrugged

Harribel rose a brow surprised at Barragan, "You actually agreed to train with them?"

"The brat came by and was bothering me all morning about it…she insisted that the Segunda was being a stagnant, lazy fool. Though after a brief conversation, she brought up a valid point. The three of us are too powerful to train with anyone else besides each other. The only way we're going to achieve this second release is if we truly push the limits of our power," Barragan explained.

"Who knew you could see reason…" Harribel muttered shaking her head halfway amused, "I suppose that's the smartest thing you've ever said."

"Do not talk down to me, Harribel! The only reason I agreed to this was because of its necessity. I would prefer not to _indulge_ in the company of you three," Barragan growled.

"Chill out, will ya? I don't know what kind of tension exists between you two, but I suggest you get over it. I'm not going to bother doing this if you two don't get along," Starrk interrupted, halfway annoyed.

"I'm not going to let him talk down to us…Barragan needs to drop his ego if he expects me to tolerate his company for more than a minute. I don't know if reality has hit you yet, Barragan, but we're not your lackeys," Harribel stated as she crossed her arms.

"Your rebellious condescension does you no credit either, Harribel!" Barragan retorted.

"Just shut up you two! Ichigo wouldn't want the Espada fighting over something so stupid! Starrk's right…you two need to get along! In fact we all do…otherwise what's the point of this whole thing?" Lilynette interrupted.

Everyone went silent for a moment as they contemplated her words. Harribel knew she was right. Despite the past trouble she had experienced with Barragan, she needed to rise above it and accept him as an ally. Ichigo did and so did Grimmjow. Harribel glared at Barragan annoyed, "Fine, I'll let it go…but only because White needs us to work together."

Barragan seemed annoyed as well, but grudgingly nodded, "Hmph…valid point. I will be less authoritative to you two. As the runt stated, you are close to my level of power, and I will show you the proper respect…but only if you do the same."

"Deal…I'd rather not hold a grudge anyway," Harribel nodded in acceptance. She watched curiously for a moment as Barragan extended his hand. She looked at it confused before realizing it was a gesture for a handshake.

Slowly she gripped his hand and shook it. After it was over, an awkward silence filled the hallway. It was soon interrupted as Mila Rose and Sung-sun came barreling outside. They had been eavesdropping on the conversation the whole time.

"Lady Harribel, you're going to train with the Espada?" Mila Rose asked uncertainly.

The blonde nodded, "Yes…I won't have as much time to help you two out. Try to work on whatever you can while we're gone."

"What should we do without you though?" Mila Rose wondered.

"Maybe we can train with Ichigo's Fracciones again?" Sung-sun suggested.

Mila Rose's face lit up at the mention, "Oooh! Good idea, I haven't seen Ichigo in a while. Maybe he's with them?!"

"You wear your emotions so easily Mila Rose…" Sung-sun sassed as the lioness arrancar went charging down the hallway. Sung-sun began to follow after her which left the Espada alone.

Barragan shook his head silently at the sight, '_Her Fracciones lack discipline…but I guess that's not really my problem_.'

"Well, let's not stand around all day…we might want to get a good distance away from Las Noches if we're all going to train together," Starrk noted.

"C'mon, let's go!" Lilynette exclaimed as she led the three Espada down the hallway.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Wandenreich, Yuzu XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yuzu and Bazz B had been continuing with the Blut training from their previous session and were making a decent amount of progress. The Mohawk Quincy nodded approvingly as he saw a very faint grid like glow cover Yuzu's arm.

"That's it Kurosaki…you've almost gotten it. Just put a little bit more into the veins. Try to focus on your pulse while you do it. Can you feel your own heartbeat. Charge it with just a little more Reishi," Bazz B stated as he progressively got louder and more excited.

Yuzu's blut vene glowed more solidly now much to his approval, "Hell yeah! Alright now keep that going while I try to attack you."

"What?!" Yuzu gasped fearfully as Bazz B held up his hand.

"Burner Finger one!" he shouted as a molten beam flew at her forearm. Her fearful anticipation caused the blut to prematurely diminish which in turn sent the girl to the ground crying in pain.

"AHHRGH" Yuzu screeched painfully as she reached up to touch a seared hole that was now present in her forearm. Her face was a mixture of pain and fear as she shakily touched the wound. "OUCH!" Yuzu grimaced. Tears were flowing down her face now.

"Kurosaki, you alright?!" Bazz B asked as he ran over and immediately examined the wound. He was met with a slap as he leaned in closer.

"Why did you do that?! It hurts…" Yuzu said painfully.

"I'm…sorry. I thought you had it," Bazz B replied somewhat shamefully. Maybe he was getting a bit ahead of himself already. Yuzu's swift progress combined with her recent acquisition of a Schrift caused him to temporarily overlook the fact that she was still an innocent teenage girl.

However, it was this simple fact which reminded him why he was so adamant about training her in the first place. This was no place for a weak-willed person. Yuzu needed to be strong…especially now that she was a Sternritter. Reluctantly, Bazz B knew he would have to be more aggressive if she was actually going to be able to defend herself.

"C'mon, Kurosaki…stand up. It's just your arm," he finally said after a brief silence. Yuzu looked up uncertainly as tears fell down her face. The seared hole in her forearm felt as if it was still on fire. She looked at Bazz B anxiously, "I'm injured…it burns really badly."

"Get up, Kurosaki…" he said more seriously now, "you can partially heal yourself with Blut Vene even after receiving an injury. Gather the Reishi and stand up."

"I…I can't!" she cried.

"Why not? What's stopping you? I didn't damage your legs or any other part of your body. Stop being a wimp and get up!" he finally said aggressively.

Yuzu fearfully shuffled upright to her feet as she clutched onto her arm tightly. She looked at Bazz B fearfully, not understanding why he was mad all of a sudden. She avoided his gaze as the man walked closer.

"Gather the Reishi, Kurosaki!" Bazz B yelled, "c'mon if this was a real battle you'd already be dead!"

"Please stop yelling at me…" Yuzu sobbed as she slumped back to the ground in a defeated posture.

"Don't you get it yet, Kurosaki?! You can't be weak! I can't keep coddling you! I shouldn't have to! Nobody should. Your brother can't protect you anymore, and I won't always be there to protect you either! You're a Sternritter for fuck's sake! Now get up and stop being a bitch!" Bazz B commanded. His tone was frightening and deeply upsetting to Yuzu. She sat there crying for another minute before finally doing as commanded.

She shook from the pain of her wound but was now silent as she looked down at the ground. Bazz B felt extremely guilty about having to do this, but he knew he had no choice. Yuzu was too used to relying on others and had almost no backbone. She needed to toughen up, and unfortunately, she was not going to get tough if she believed she could always depend on him for protection.

'_She needs to learn how to stand up on her own…_' Bazz B kept telling himself as he avoided Yuzu's tearful puppy-dog eyes.

"Gather the Reishi…use blut," he said again but in a calmer manner. Before Yuzu could do as commanded, she felt somebody grab a hold of her arm.

Her eyes widened confused as none other than Giselle was there. Bazz B seemed just as surprised by the other Sternritter's arrival and watched confused as Giselle channeled a blut from her own arm onto Yuzu's. Much to Bazz B's surprise, it healed the hole in Yuzu's arm.

Yuzu pulled her arm away and sniffled uncertainly, "Giselle-san?"

"There! All patched up now! Hey Bazzy-kun! You mind if I help you train her?" Giselle asked as she waved at the dumbstruck Bazz B.

"Giselle? What the hell are you doing here?!" Bazz B demanded.

"Well…I couldn't help but notice that Yuzu needed some more instruction on Blut. Since it's one of my fields of expertise, I figured maybe I could train with you guys!" Giselle chirped cheerfully.

"Did you just…heal her?!" he gawked.

"Don't look so surprised Bazzy-kun! I heal Bambi-chan's opponents all the time. She has a nasty habit of blowing people's limbs off you know?" Giselle laughed.

Yuzu looked down at her arm disbelievingly, '_She…healed me?! The pain…it's gone_.'

"Get lost, Giselle…I don't want you messing with Yuzu, got that?!" Bazz B growled.

"Well, I could tell Candice or Haschwalth about how you're treating her…I wonder what they'd say?" Giselle replied.

"Ugh…fine, you can stay. Just don't go dragging Candice or Jugo here. I don't need that headache right now!" Bazz B sighed.

"Yay! You're the best, Bazzy-kun! You know I love you right?!" Giselle exclaimed as she ran in for a hug.

Bazz B immediately swung two fingers as she got near, "Burner Finger Two!" Two huge parallel streams of fire arced out immediately forcing Giselle to jump back and dodge.

She gave Bazz B a pouting look, "Aww, you're so mean, Bazzy-kun! You're even being mean to Yuzu-chan today!"

"Shut up, bitch! I'm training her alright?! There's only so far she's going to get with us coddling her. Now if you think you're some kind of bomb ass instructor, then by all means try to teach her blut. I'll be standing right here so don't try anything," Bazz B shot back.

'_Bazz B seems so angry right now…I don't know what I did to upset him, but I hope he doesn't stay that way_,' Yuzu thought concerned as she briefly stole a glance at the hot-headed Bazz B who was now seated a short distance away.

Giselle caught Yuzu's attention as she grabbed her wrist, "Alright now, Yuzu-chan, I am going to help you with blut!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Karin XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The news was everywhere, and even now Karin could barely believe it. One of the Shinigami Captains had gone on a reconnaissance mission to Hueco Mundo and recently returned as a hollow herself. The idea was frightening to her. Karin shook her head concerned, '_This conflict isn't going to go away. Eventually the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo will be at full-scale war. Dad said he was going to stop Ichigo…would they honestly fight each other?_'

The idea of her family literally tearing itself apart frightened Karin greatly. She was also deeply concerned about Yuzu's disappearance which apparently had something to do with Quincies. The raven haired teen balled her fists angrily, '_Damn it! Why did this have to happen to my family?! I gotta find dad and see if he's doing anything about Yuzu._'

Rushing down the stairs of the Shiba residence, she spotted Isshin sitting down with his fingers interlocked. He appeared deep in thought and looked extremely on edge.

"Dad, I know you told me not to get involved, but I have to know…is your friend Ishida-san still looking for Yuzu? I can't sleep knowing she's missing and in trouble," Karin said urgently.

Isshin slowly looked up at her and sighed shaking his head, "I'm just as concerned as you are, but I can't go anywhere right now. There's a huge meeting coming up soon with all seated officers. It's about Captain Soifon."

"But aren't you worried about where Yuzu is?! We need to go help her! The Soul Society can take care of itself! Our family should come first!" Karin stated.

"I wish it was that simple, Karin, but there's literally nothing I can do about Yuzu at the moment. Wherever those quincies took her is somewhere I have no knowledge of. I know it seems like I'm doing nothing, but our only hope of finding her is to rely on the Soul Society for help. Plus…I swore to the Captain-Commander that I would deal with this Ichigo issue," Isshin replied.

"Well let me go look for her then! I'm tired of just sitting around worrying about my sister!" Karin demanded.

Isshin shot her a stern gaze, "And what would you do, Karin? You're nowhere near the level of power it would take to stand up to some of these enemies. You're the only child I can currently protect, and right now you're safest in the Soul Society."

"What's the point of being safe if I have to live in fear? Plus, can't you train me or something? All this sitting around and worrying can't be good for you either, dad," Karin noted.

"If the academy wasn't still closed, I'd suggest you go back. Though that's out of the question currently," the man sighed.

Karin sent him a sharp glare, "I'm never going back to that stupid academy. Everyone there treats me bad just because I'm some supposed noble. Who the hell are the Shibas anyways?! We're Kurosakis!"

The man stood up as an idea shot through his mind, "Maybe you can train with the other Shibas then…I didn't really think about it until now, but there were three of them left besides me before I left the Soul Society. I have a niece and nephew that live out in one of the Rukongai districts. Their names are Kukaku and Ganju. I'll let you train with them if you'd like."

"Wait…what?! We have family in the Soul Society?! I thought we were the last Shibas," Karin gasped.

Isshin shrugged, "Well, after the incident with Kaien's death, I believe Kukaku and Ganju renounced their affiliation to the clan. So technically we are the last Shibas…but they are blood related to us. I guess that would make them your cousins."

"Cousins?! We…I have cousins here?! Why didn't you say anything about this sooner?!" Karin gawked.

"Well it wasn't really worth mentioning until now. I haven't seen them in decades, and they don't even know about you kids. I'm not even sure how they'll react to be honest, but we can go there after this captain's meeting," Isshin said as he made his way towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Karin asked.

"The meeting will probably start soon. I am going to go see if they've made any progress with Captain Soifon first. Just hang tight, Karin. I'll be back later," Isshin said before walking out the door.

Karin stood there dumbfounded, '_Cousins? I wonder what they're like?_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Wandenreich, Yuzu XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yuzu could hardly believe it…of all the Quincies, Giselle was the most helpful instructor she ever could have imagined when it came to learning about Quincy abilities. The creepy Sternritter had this strange way of putting things in a perspective for her to understand.

Unlike Bazz B or Candice, Giselle seemed to understand Yuzu's perspective in nearly every training situation they had done thus far. She didn't over-explain like Candice or use simplified explanations like Bazz B. Giselle went out of her way to explain how every ability worked and what they drew upon rather than just demonstrating. Her step by step teaching had allowed Yuzu to finally grasp the concept of blut in its entirety.

Giselle also managed to teach her about Blut Arterie. Unlike Blut Vene, Blue Arterie was the offensive counterpart. Yuzu wasn't sure what it would do, but was quite surprised by how Giselle explained it. Blut Arterie could be used in a variety of ways. It could enhance one's bodily systems by infusing their cardiovascular system with Reishi. This allowed for a much higher offensive output as it increased strength, speed, and reaction time.

"And that's only the basics of what Blut Arterie can do, Yuzu-chan. Most of the other sternritters don't rely on it as often since their schrifts grant them a great amount of offensive power anyways…but I think it's pretty useful to be well-rounded in everything rather than only excelling in one thing. Another useful ability of Blut Arterie that almost nobody bothers learning is this…" Giselle turned away from her as she held up her arms.

A red grid pattern traced over them and soon formed into red claw like extensions over her fingers. Giselle grinned excitedly as she swung them all releasing a bloodied energy blades. "These blades of blood are particularly useful at catching an opponent off guard, especially if you're not carrying a weapon. They also serve well to aid in my own Schrifts powers of blood manipulation."

As she glanced back at the surprised Yuzu, Giselle smiled, "Now remember, Yuzu-chan, Blut arterie and blut vene can't be used at the same time, but you can interchange quickly in battle if you're skilled enough. If I were you, I'd try working on alternating them. Once you do the flow will feel more natural."

"Umm…Giselle, can you teach me how to heal with blut? That looked useful." Yuzu asked.

"Of course I can, Yuzu-chan! Healing with blut is something that requires you to be good at blut vene and blut arterie. By absorbing Reishi and infusing it into the blood system, you can speed up the natural healing process exponentially. What it does is it allows one cell to divide into a hundred cells instead of just two. Just think of it as spiritually enhanced cellular regeneration. Now I know what you're thinking…how do we avoid the possibility of mutations with all that cellular division right?" Giselle asked excitedly.

Yuzu wasn't dumb by any means, but she was not the biggest expert on biology. She looked somewhat lost in Giselle's explanation but nodded, "Uhh…right?"

"It's simple! The blut arterie increases the blood flow to that area allowing for the super delivery of reishi platelets, and the blut vene which comes afterward protects the cells after their division. The cells born from this process will divide until your body is completely healed. Once the blut stops, your rapid cell division ceases. How you might ask? Well…when the reishi is present in your blut, it nullifies the-"

"Oh my god, Giselle, shut up! I think she gets the point," Bazz B exclaimed annoyed.

"Oh…haha sorry about that," Giselle rubbed the back of her head, "I just thought Yuzu-chan might want a more scientific explanation as to how Reishi affects the bodily systems."

"You know a lot about science stuff. Thanks for the explanation," Yuzu said somewhat meekly as she was trying to understand the explanation.

"Aww, you're so sweet, Yuzu-chan!" Giselle chirped.

"Jeez…I didn't realize you knew shit about science Giselle," Bazz B noted.

The Sternritter struck a peace sign and grinned, "Oh but of course I do! It's important to know that kind of stuff when your power revolves around reanimating the dead right?"

The atmosphere immediately got dark and creepy as Giselle finished her comment. Bazz B looked away shaking his head, "You're sick…even more so than I thought. I should have known you were some kind of mad scientist. Now I see why you were partnered with Askin back then…"

'_She's way smarter than I thought…why does that scare me?_' Yuzu thought concerned as she looked between Giselle and Bazz B.

"I'm not mad though…I'm cute!" Giselle retorted.

"Yeah…if you say so," Bazz B said sarcastically, "I think Kurosaki's had enough Blut training for one day. It might be a better idea to work on your Schrift now."

"Her schrift? Is Yuzu-chan a Sternritter now?" Giselle asked excitedly.

Bazz B sighed heavily, "Yes…she's L for Light."

"L? Hmm…isn't Pepe L for Love?" Giselle thought aloud.

"Yeah it confused me too…but that's what it is," Bazz B replied.

"Well it's getting kind of late…do you mind if I go to bed, Bazz B?" Yuzu requested timidly.

The Mohawk man nodded as he jerked his head, "Get some sleep, Kurosaki and remember what we talked about. You did good work today…"

After Yuzu left, Bazz B turned towards Giselle seriously, "Is there a reason you're annoying me all the time now, Giselle? You've been acting really weird around me lately. I don't know what you hope to gain by butting into this, but I think it's time you told me."

"Ah Bazzy-kun, you're so suspicious of me. What if I just enjoy hanging out with you? Maybe you're just projecting your own fears onto me. The real question is what are you up to?" Giselle countered.

"Pfft…you think you're some kind of slick shit, elusive genius huh? I got nothing to say to you, freak," Bazz B announced dismissively as he took his leave. Upon his departure, Giselle sighed, '_Thought so…but would he really go through with it?_'

Making her way back inside, Giselle was soon met by none other than Bambietta. The leader of the femritter gang eyed Giselle up and down suspiciously, "What's up with you, Gigi? I heard you were training the girl with Bazz B today. How'd that go?"

Giselle nervously rubbed the back of her head, "Oh…you heard about that huh? Well, it's a funny story really…"

"No need to get all weird about it…I don't care. I actually told Yuzu that she was better off learning from you anyway. You manage to teach her anything?" Bambietta asked.

"I just taught her about Blut. Candy-chan and Bazzy-kun were kind of vague in their descriptions." Giselle nodded.

"So she's a Sternritter now too…did you find out anything about what her Schrift is?" Bambietta asked anxiously.

"Her Schrift is L for light…I was kind of surprised when Bazzy-kun told me," Giselle responded.

As they entered, Bambietta's room, the woman plopped onto her bed and turned back with a surprised face, "Light?! Oh damn…that could be super strong. Do you have any idea what the power of light could do?"

Giselle nodded, "Well, if there's no defined limit to her power over it, then Yuzu-chan would be capable of a ton of things. She could change colors, turn things invisible, make illusions, absorb sunlight, blind people, teleport, and maybe even create shadows. Though that's all speculative."

"Holy fuck…Yhwach gave her that kind of power?! Why?" Bambietta's eyes widened disbelievingly.

"Well I doubt it's on the level you're thinking of, Bambi-chan, but it could potentially be extremely powerful," Giselle noted.

"Are you kidding me?" a voice that could only be Candice's sounded from outside their door. It was quickly opened and closed as Candice came strutting in with Meninas and Liltotto.

Bambietta rolled her eyes at them, "Next time knock, Candice…"

"So her Schrift is light?!" Candice confirmed.

Giselle nodded, "Yep, that's what I heard from Bazz B."

"Wait…so what's this about you hanging out with Bazz B?! What the fuck for?!" Candice demanded.

"Oh…haha, well since you two both alternate training her on different days I thought maybe I could be there everyday. I managed to convince Bazzy-kun that I would be a big help. We finished up her blut training today," Giselle laughed nervously.

"So you're hanging with Bazz B of all people? Since when has that been a thing?!" Candice glared.

Liltotto seemed somewhat alarmed by the news, '_Giselle seems way more interested in this than normal. I wonder how she convinced Bazz B to let her train with Yuzu? Unless…she's on to Bazz B too? Can't put anything past Giselle it seems. I should go talk to Bazz B about this. I wonder if Bambietta knows..._'

"Don't be mad, Candy-chan, I just want to help," Giselle replied innocently.

Before Candice could voice her disapproval further, Bambietta spoke up, "Leave her alone, Candice…Gigi got Bazz B's permission."

"Does all that poor girl do is train and sleep? I think tomorrow we should have a girl's day for her," Meninas cut in with a peppy tone.

"That's actually not a half bad idea…if she's a Sternritter, then Yhwach is completely serious about keeping her. It might be a good idea to alleviate some of the tension she might be feeling," Liltotto agreed.

"I'll only agree to this if Bambietta promises to not be a sinister bitch," Candice spoke up sternly.

Bambietta shrugged, "Yeah yeah, I won't scare her again. No need to perpetuate whatever lies Bazz B has been feeding her about us anyway."

"I'm kind of curious about her human life. We should try to learn more about Yuzu-chan and her family," Meninas suggested approvingly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Captain's Meeting XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Her condition is irreversible, sir…without the Hogyoku, there's no possible way to get rid of her hollowfication. We attempted to wake her up again earlier, but she just immediately transformed. We managed to suppress it, and she's awake now, but that hollow isn't going away. She's going to have to become a Visored or die," Urahara explained to the Captain-Commander along with all senior Gotei 13 officers.

"That might not even be possible, honestly. Her hollow is fused to her Zanpakuto now. Leave it to Aizen to design something so diabolical. If she uses any of her Reiryoku, then her hollow will just take over again. We could try, but that would require letting us fight her while she battles her inner hollow," Lisa added.

The tension in the room was heavy enough to sink a mountain. A heavy silence followed her statement which left many of the Gotei 13 officers staring in disbelief and anger. "Is that truly wise? The last thing we need is another hollow attacking the Seireitei. Morale is at an all time low. Setting her loose and letting you fight her just for the slight chance that it could save her is not worth the risk. The Gotei 13 has suffered too many losses already. If Captain Urahara was unable to cleanse her, then Captain Soifon's life is already forfeit," Yamamoto stated seriously.

Omaeda was the first to break the silence as he shook his head dismissively, "If there's even a chance that it could save the captain's life, then we should do it!"

"I think you fail to understand the Captain-Commander's point Lieutenant! She's already dead…truthfully she died the moment she set foot into Hueco Mundo. The fact that she was able to bring us important information before turning is a testament to her sacrifice," Byakuya interrupted.

"This is crazy…you're telling me we just have to execute her then?! She's still alive for goodness sake!" Rangiku couldn't help but protest. Toshiro's face was one of utter disgust, '_Damn you, Aizen! You monster…you and White will pay for this!_'

Komamura shook his head sadly, "This is abhorrent…to think the hollows would go this far just to send us a message."

"Lieutenant Matsumoto is right though…she's still alive. Captain Soifon deserves a chance to save her own soul. I mean…it worked for them right?" Momo added as she pointed at the visoreds.

"She may be alive…but for how long? She's practically a hollow already…if she doesn't die to Soul Suicide then she'll pretty much be an abomination. She wouldn't want that," Unohana stated.

"Nice of you to call us abominations…" Hiyori crossed her arms unhappily, "really makes us feel welcome."

"She's not like you though. That point has been expressively noted by several experts on this matter. Her hollowfication was different than yours," Unohana responded sharply.

Hiyori didn't seem like she wanted to argue as she simply rolled her eyes and looked away.

"Couldn't you just keep her incapacitated until we recovered the Hogyoku, Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately, Captain Urahara failed to mention another key factor in this matter. The drug he injected has a diminishing effect over time. She's already adapting to it due to her hollow resistance. There's only two options…attempt to make her a Visored or kill her...be it Soul-suicide or execution," Kurotsuchi interrupted.

"Well, maybe we could take her somewhere secure and try it? I mean it couldn't hurt to at least try. If it fails then she dies anyway," Shinji suggested.

"She must be executed immediately. I cannot abide the intentional creation of hollow Shinigami hybrids. It is regrettable and unfortunate, but Captain Soifon died for the greater good of the Soul Society. Her worth as a captain has been proven by her sacrifice. However, I will not break the law just to cheat her death," Yamamoto concluded.

"We can't just kill her when there's even the slightest chance of helping though!" Yoruichi protested.

"Be silent! I will not tolerate insubordination in times like these! Even if the process were to be successful, what happens when they do it again? And again?! The hollows have made it clear that they will turn us or destroy us one way or another. Do you understand what the ramifications of doing this would entail? What happens when all Shinigami see their former friends turned hollow? They hold back in the hopes that something can be done. If our entire army thought that way, then the hollows would wash over us like a wave. The lower ranks must understand the hard truth that all of us are vulnerable, and those that turn must be slain for the greater good. Do you doubt my wisdom on this matter?!" Yamamoto dared somebody to speak up in protest.

Nobody had the nerve to say another word before Yamamoto spoke again, "Good…retrieve her immediately. I will do it myself."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After a short commute, many of the Gotei 13 officers were gathered atop Sokyoku Hill where the hollowfied Soifon sat restrained. Yamamoto took a brief moment to look over the faces of his underlings and spoke sternly, "Captain Soifon brought invaluable information to the Soul Society, but paid dearly with her soul. This is what the hollows have done to her…this is the fate they would inflict upon all of us. Captain Soifon was militant and proud…she deserves a clean death. Understand this…all of you. Show no mercy to hollows. Her soul will be cleansed, and one day she will be reborn again."

Reaching for his Zanpakuto, Yamamoto drew it slowly as he approached the restrained hollow. Everyone watched sadly as Soifon writhed and howled.

As Yamamoto got closer, Soifon felt a strange clarity coming to her. The captain tried to speak in her own defense as Yamamoto got closer, but much to her horror, the only sound that escaped her mouth was another hollow screech.

'_What the hell?! Are they actually going to execute me?!_' Soifon thought disbelievingly as she finally began to regain her mind, '_what the fuck kind of sick twist of fate is this?! How…how did I get on Sokyoku Hill?_'

The woman thought for a moment as she briefly remembered the time White escaped with Aizen. She didn't know why this was a part of her final thoughts, but seconds later an idea came to mind. Her control immediately ceased as her body began to move on its own again.

Soifon looked up and began to screech as loudly as possible. It greatly resembled the one Wonderweiss had used before White's escape. Yamamoto swung his sword down for a clean executing blow, but was shocked when a golden beam of light shot through the Seireitei blocking him.

Everyone could barely believe their eyes when they looked up and saw a Garganta overhead. In the shadows of the Garganta, a single massive eye could be seen. This sight was not unfamiliar to many of the officers present.

Unohana was quick to state the obvious, "She used Negacion?"

"How the hell did she open that Garganta?! Isn't this the same way White used to escape?" Kyouraku stared in disbelief.

Soifon began to ascend in the yellow beam at a surprising quick rate before disappearing into the sealed Garganta.

"Did that really just happen?!" Yoruichi gawked.

It seemed everyone was at a loss for words. Yamamoto himself cracked his fists angrily, '_I will kill the creature that answers Negacion cries the next time I see it._'

"What happened? How did she use Negacion?!" Ukitake wondered.

"Everyone is dismissed…do not bother me unless I call for you," Yamamoto stated angrily as he immediately took his leave.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Isshin XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After Soifon's unexpected escape, Isshin was simply at a loss for words, '_This is crazy…I need to get Karin out of the Seireitei before something else disastrous happens around here_.'

As he made his way back home, he was quickly intercepted by none other than Rukia. The petite brunette announced her intentions immediately, "Hey, Captain Shiba, you mind if I talk to you?"

"Kuchiki? What do you want?" Isshin asked as he walked at a brisk pace.

Rukia looked away for a moment before answering, "Well, after seeing what happened to Captain Soifon it really made me think. The same thing happened to Kaien Shiba…do you think anything could have been done to help him? I know it's a silly question, but since you're related to him and all, I just wanted to know what you thought about it."

"Why are trying to say exactly? Aren't you the one that killed Kaien?" Isshin asked.

This seemed to be the wrong thing to say. Rukia immediately looked away depressed, "Yeah…I was just wondering if I did the right thing, you know? I don't think the captain commander was right about wanting to execute Captain Soifon."

"It's not my place to question the old guy…he's been doing this for well over a thousand years," Isshin shrugged.

"Forgive me for asking, but since you used to be the head of the Shiba Clan, I was wondering…how well did you know Kaien?"

"Kaien was my nephew…I always thought Ichigo looked like him but with orange hair instead of black," Isshin replied.

"Do you think I did the right thing?" Rukia asked again.

"I don't pretend to understand what's right or wrong in the universe. It's wrong that I have to kill my son, but it's also right because he endangers the balance. It's wrong that my daughters have to get sucked into this conflict, but it's right that they know the truth. I can't answer your question for you, Kuchiki. Though if you want my advice, I'd probably talk to Kaien's siblings about it. Maybe that'll give you some closure," the man said calmly.

"Kaien's siblings?! W-where are they?" Rukia asked.

"I was actually going to take Karin to meet them. You're welcome to come along too if you'd like. I haven't really gotten the chance to see them in decades, and I'm sure they could use some closure themselves," Isshin suggested.

"You're taking your daughter there? Why?" Rukia asked.

"I want them to train her since the Shinigami Academy is shut down. In fact…you could too if you really wanted. Karin could use a friend here…she's been really bitter lately," Isshin sighed.

"I can definitely keep an eye on her while she's there if you'd like. Plus it could give me some time to talk to the Shibas," Rukia agreed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Soifon XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Upon passing through the Garganta, Soifon felt her clarity return once more. Now that her life wasn't in immediate danger, she could think more clearly. She looked around examining her settings before noticing a massive creature which was no doubt responsible for pulling her out of the Soul Society.

She looked at the disgusting monster with shock as it immediately took its leave. She then realized that she was back in Hueco Mundo, somewhere beneath the surface. Soifon began to jump around the subterranean cave she found herself in as she looked for an exit.

After an indeterminate amount of time she found her way to the surface. Looking over the windy sands of Hueco Mundo she dropped to her knees full of despair, '_Why am I back here?! This place…it's so empty._'

An overwhelming sense of hopelessness began to wash over her. She was a hollow now and could never go back to the Soul Society. '_They…were going to kill me. Why? Couldn't they help me? Those visoreds have hollow powers. Am I not like them? Why did this have to happen!? Everyone saw me…transform. I'm a hollow abomination!_'

Right as that thought crossed her mind, she remembered her final words to Ichigo, '_He did this to punish me. What the fuck am I supposed to do now?! The Soul Society wants me dead, the quincies want me dead, and the hollows…they want me dead too! I'm alone…_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

There's another chapter for you kids. I hope you enjoyed it. I know there was a lot of shifting perspectives happening this chapter, but a lot of stuff is going on right now, so I wanted to emphasize that.

Yuzu is certainly one of the highlights in this chapter. Yhwach finally gave her a Schrift. As you may have realized already, it will be an unusual power. We also got a bit more insight into Giselle and some of her sneakiness. Next chapter, will probably delve a bit into the Femritters' pasts, so hopefully you enjoy that.

Next on the list of big events is Isshin dropping the bomb on Karin about Kukaku and Ganju. I know some of you have asked about their appearance in this story…well I was saving it for this. The whole Shiba/rukia perspective will eventually lead into Kaien. Lots of that coming soon.

Also, BG9 is still alive?! And in the clutches of Szayel…what do the hollows have in store for him? You'll find out next chapter! HAHAHA!

That aside, we got Starrk, Harribel, and Barragan training with each other…that ought to be interesting eh? You might like what I have planned there. Last but not least, our beloved Ulquiorra is on a mission to achieve Segunda Etapa.

So there's a lot going on…stay tuned for next chapter and as always thanks for reading. By the way, I appreciate everyone who took the time to review this story. I never expected this fic to break a thousand reviews. I mean…it's not really a big deal when it comes to anime fics, but I was still glad to hit the milestone anyways.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Grief**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Szayel's Lab, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yylfordt walked back inside his brother's laboratory accompanied by none other than Zommari. The Noveno Espada had a stoic look on his face, but seemed slightly anxious as he heard Szayel busy "working" on BG9.

The Quincy's cries of pain could be heard well outside of the lab, and he couldn't help but wonder what sick machinations were at work inside. Zommari had no idea why Szayel of all people would want his help with anything, but chose to come anyways. All Yylfordt had to say in order to convince him was that Ichigo needed them to ready BG9 for interrogation.

Szayel's head turned towards the new arrivals in his lab, "Ah, Yylfordt, you finally brought Zommari…took you long enough. But I digress! As you can see, I've made some considerable progress during your absence. The cyborg quincy's pain receptors have been maximized for optimal interrogation. I made sure to repurpose his biological nervous system as well. Underneath the machinery, he still has major organs…though they're quite unlike anything I've seen before. His endocrine system is particularly interesting with a mixture of both organic and inorganic chemicals. The fact that it all works together is quite remarkable. That aside…I injected a numbing agent into his brain. It seems to be breaking down his cognitive functions."

"So then what did you need Zommari for?" Yylfordt asked as the Noveno Espada followed him over towards the operating table where Szayel was busily tinkering with BG9.

Zommari looked at the other quincy corpses before turning towards BG9, "So these are the quincies I've heard so much about? Interesting…I've never seen a being like this before."

"I'm glad you're here, Zommari, I actually have a request if you wouldn't mind. You see…this being is a fine line between man and machine. Yylfordt and I tried to 'hack' it so to speak. Unfortunately, we didn't make much progress due to the biological part of his brain. I was wondering if your Amor ability could help us in that regard. I've vaguely heard that it controls others? That would go well with the mental numbing agent." Szayel asked.

"Well that's not entirely untrue, but Amor doesn't exactly work that way.. The ability itself can control objects and people, but it intoxicates them. It's difficult to explain…" Zommari said calmly.

"Well, we have plenty of room in here…do you need to release to use this ability?" Szayel asked curiously. Zommari nodded silently in response.

Szayel sighed, "Well…so long as you don't break anything, try releasing here in the center of the room."

The pink haired arrancar led Zommari closer towards the room's center away from his operating tables and other machinery.

Zommari cocked his head uncertainly, "Are you certain this is a good idea? What will my Amor do to aid you in this task?"

"Now now, Zommari…don't you go worrying about all the details. I'll summarize as best I can. If your Amor has the ability to 'control' other things, then I want you to use it on the Quincy's mind. That combined with my agent will cripple his willpower. Afterward, we will copy his neural network and hack his mechanical brain parts simultaneously. If all goes well it should provide some insight into his memories as well as cognitive functions. Once we're inside his head, we can rearrange things. I'm not entirely sure what King White has planned for him afterward…so we'll call him once that's done," Szayel summarized.

Zommari nodded his head, "Very well. I will use my Amor then. Stand back, I haven't used my release form much since becoming an arrancar. I'm not sure what kind of effect it will have on you."

"Well I'll just stand over here then," Yylfordt noted nonchalantly as he moved to the far corner. Szayel briefly backed away, but didn't appear overly concerned.

Zommari got into a wide stance as he drew his Zanpakuto, "Suppress Brujeria."

A brief pink flash blinded the lab before Zommari was now revealed to be in his released state. It was quite unlike anything Szayel had ever seen before.

In his resurreccion state, he now had an unusual striped pattern of white and pink armor-like skin. It covered his entire body, minus his hollow hole. Multiple eyes covered his body in several noticeable places. Chiefly amongst them were the third eye on his forehead, and the two on his chest. He had three running down the length of each forearm, and two noticeably closed ones on each palm.

Szayel couldn't help but bring a hand to his chin as if fascinated, "Interesting form…I take it Amor has something to do with those extra eyes?"

"Yes…" was all Zommari said in response.

"Well let's get to work then," Szayel said eagerly as he made his way back to BG9 at the operating table.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Outer Rukongai District, Shiba Household XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Isshin, Karin, and Rukia walked for what felt like half a day before finally reaching their intended destination. The man seemed somewhat anxious about getting there and had a look of concern written across his face. Karin herself was fidgeting in anticipation. Rukia of course was nervous about facing Kaien's siblings and had been quiet for the entire trip.

Karin spent most of the trip trying not to think about Yuzu's disappearance, or Ichigo's situation. She knew it was going to drive her mad if she started worrying over it, and simply focused on the upcoming meeting with her long lost cousins. She couldn't help but wonder whether or not they would like her. As the group walked down the road to a large looking house they noticed some strange additions to it. On the sides of the house were two large statue arms holding up a banner between their enclosed hands.

Karin squinted to get a better look at the words written on it, '_Kukaku Shiba…she's my cousin? I wonder how old she is? I mean if dad wasn't here for decades then she'd have to be pretty old too. Maybe people age differently in this place? I guess that would make sense. This is the spirit world after all_.'

She was drawn from her thoughts as two burly looking men stopped their advance in front of the House. They both had unusual red hats with white tassels, and seemed like bodyguards from what Karin could surmise.

"Shiba-sama?! Is that truly you?!" one of them asked dumbfounded as he gawked at Isshin.

"Yeah, long time no see. How have you two been these past few decades?" Isshin replied somewhat casually. His tone seemed surprising to Karin since her father appeared anxious about arriving minutes prior.

"As well as can be expected, sir. Kukaku-sama and Ganju-sama have been doing better ever since the…well since we left the Seireitei," the other man answered.

Isshin nodded, "Well that's good to hear. I've wondered how they were ever since I left the Soul Society. Kukaku's not mad about it is she?"

The first man frowned somewhat reluctantly, "You may wish to speak to her yourself about it, sir. By the way, who are these girls with you? I see you three are all wearing Shihakushos."

"I've been reinstated to special captain status recently. I'll tell you the whole story once we get inside. This is my daughter Karin, and that's lieutenant Kuchiki of Squad 13." The man motioned towards his dark haired daughter and Rukia.

Karin cocked her head curiously at the two men, "Who are they?"

"Your daughter?! Oh forgive me sir. Nice to meet you young lady. My name is Koganehiko." The first one stated politely.

The other one immediately bowed his head respectfully, "Shiroganehiko at your service. We're loyal servants of the Shiba Family."

"Nice to meet you," Karin bowed after a brief silence. Afterward, they turned around and motioned for Isshin and Karin to follow them inside the house. Upon entering, Karin immediately noticed the traditional style it seemed to have. The men led them down a hallway before opening a sliding door.

As they followed the two inside, a surprised gasp filled the room, "No way! Uncle?! Is that you?!"

A dark haired busty woman who had been previously sitting in the middle of the room jumped up and ran over towards them with a surprised face. She had quite the striking appearance. She wore a white skirt, a revealing sleeveless red top of some kind and had several bandages covering various parts of her body. The most notable of which were some on her head, and ankles. However upon looking at her shoulder bandages, Karin's eyes trailed down and instantly noticed some type of brace tied off above her elbow.

Below it she realized that Kukaku's right arm wasn't a real arm, but was in fact some type of prosthetic limb. She couldn't help but stare at it awkwardly as her father addressed the woman.

"Kukaku, I'm glad to see you're still doing well since I've been gone. Where's Ganju? There's some stuff I wanted to talk about if you'll hear me out." the man asked.

Kukaku immediately crossed her arms and leered at the man, "This has got to be some kind of joke. Why did you come back now after all these years? I see you're wearing that Shinigami get up. You mind explaining yourself?!"

Isshin sighed, "I've been reinstated as a special captain. I know I've been gone for over twenty years, but there's a reason for it. I'm not sure if you've seen Yoruichi recently, but she can attest to what happened. I lost my powers in the world of the living after saving the woman that eventually became my wife, Masaki. I only recently reacquired them. Me, Yoruichi, the Visoreds, and even Urahara are all back out of exile and in the Gotei 13 again."

"What the hell?! I think you better start back at the beginning…what made you rejoin? I'm surprised they didn't want to execute you for going awol for twenty years," she shook her head not entirely understanding him.

"I'm sure you've heard all about the hollow White and how he attacked the Seireitei recently correct? Well that's the same hollow that I fought over twenty years ago. It attacked Masaki and infected her somehow. Since she was a Quincy and was unable to hollowfy, she would have died from Soul Suicide. With Urahara's help, I saved her by giving up my powers," Isshin explained.

"You've got to be kidding me!" a masculine voice sounded from the next room. A muscular looking man immediately came bursting into the room and gawked at Isshin as if offended, "Uncle you married a Quincy?!"

"There you are Ganju…what were you doing hiding in the other room?! Take a seat and shut up until we get the whole story!" Kukaku hissed as she motioned for the man to sit down.

Karin could see some resemblance in this Ganju man's face in comparison to her father's. They definitely had a similar facial structure.

Ganju reluctantly crossed his arms as he leaned against a wall, "I'll stand…"

Before Kukaku could voice her disapproval, Isshin continued speaking, "After I saved her, we assumed she was fine…and she was for the years to come. Masaki even had her powers after it was over, so I eventually ended up settling down with her and we got married. We had three children…seems like a Shiba tradition."

"Three children? You and a Quincy?! Oh I'll bet those Shinigami bastards didn't like that…" Kukaku laughed.

"You have children, uncle?" Ganju asked completely shocked.

Isshin nodded in response, "Yes, in fact this girl here is one of them. She and her sister are my young ones. They're fraternal twins. Go ahead and introduce yourself."

Karin stepped forward somewhat nervously as Ganju and Kukaku gawked at her. She took a deep breath and spoke confidently, "I'm Karin, it's nice to meet you."

"Your daughter's a Shinigami too?!" Kukaku asked surprised.

"Wait so where are the other two then? And what the hell is _she_ doing here?!" Ganju wondered as he sent a sharp glare towards Rukia.

"Shut up, Ganju and let him talk," Kukaku commanded.

"I was getting to that…Yuzu, my other daughter inherited more of her mother's traits. That includes looks and Masaki's Quincy power. She was recently abducted by some Quincy organization called the Wandenreich. My childrens' lives are why I accepted reinstatement. It seems hollows and Quincies are abundant these days. I need help keeping them safe," Isshin replied.

"What ever happened to your wife? Do we get to meet her?" Kukaku asked anxiously. She seemed to be ignoring Rukia's presence as best she could.

"No unfortunately…Masaki died to a hollow from what I've been able to gather. Kisuke Urahara told me it went by the name Grand Fisher. It wasn't particularly powerful or anything along those lines…but she was unable to kill it for some reason. My friend Ryuken and I believe that something affected her powers…though I couldn't even imagine what. I'm guessing it might have something to do with the Wandenreich Quincies," Isshin elaborated further.

"That's crazy…so you lost your powers to save this Quincy woman from hollowfication? I didn't picture you as the romantic sort, uncle. You've always seemed like the aloof moron to me," Kukaku noted.

"Who's your third kid?" Ganju interrupted as he noticed Isshin's failure to mention any details on that matter.

The Shibas were quick to notice Karin, Isshin, and Rukia all tense up at the mention.

"My oldest…his name was Ichigo and he died to a hollow attack about two or so years ago. He was born spiritually adept and I think that's what made him a target to hollows. Before he died, I thought about telling him the truth about everything…the Soul Society and what not. It's just…I didn't want to force a life on him that he might not want. Unfortunately, my inaction is what led to him being eaten by a hollow," Isshin said deep in remorseful thought.

"Maybe that's a Shiba curse too…the oldest dying because of a hollow," Kukaku immediately glared over at Rukia. The raven haired woman swiftly looked away shamefully avoiding her gaze.

"I wish it were that simple…at least then I could mourn my son as I did Masaki. Unfortunately, Ichigo was something of a freak of spiritual nature. Whenever he was born, the hollow that Masaki and I thought dead had actually fused with his soul. Not to mention with my added powers and Masaki's Quincy blood, Ichigo had an absurd amount of mixed spiritual power. Despite being eaten by a hollow, he eventually took over whatever Gillian they all turned into. I was under the assumption that the process took decades if not centuries. That's why I could barely believe it when I found out that White is Ichigo."

"What?! Hold up, you're saying that the hollow that has the entire Soul Society riled up in terror is your son?!" Kukaku shouted in disbelief. Her eyes were wide with uncertainty as if the whole thing couldn't actually be possible.

Ganju thought for a second before adding his two cents to the argument, "Wait…so then we're related to that hollow?"

"That's crazy…White, the Hollow King is your son?" Kukaku had a difficult time coping with that shred of information.

Rukia spoke for the first time confused, "How do you know White is the Hollow King?"

"Because people talk…how could every Rukongai citizen not know about the hollow which attacked the seat of power and glassed a full district?! So what you're telling us uncle is the hollow that attacked you twenty years ago is fused with your son and has your power and your wife's?" Kukaku clarified.

Isshin nodded, "That about sums it up…which is probably the main reason I'm here. I have to destroy that hollow."

"Just how much of your power does he have?" Ganju asked somewhat concerned. Karin was quick to catch on to the fact that they were aware of Isshin's true power which was something she herself had no true exposure to yet.

"I don't know, but between Ichigo's fate and Yuzu's disappearance, I have a lot to deal with right now. That brings me to the reason for coming all the way out here. I want you two to look after Karin and train her if possible. I simply don't have the time for it, and I don't particularly feel safe with her being in the Seireitei given all that's happened recently," The man stated.

Ganju traded an uncertain look with Kukaku. The woman sent a sharp stare towards Karin, "So you came all the way out here to dump your kid on us? If she's a Shinigami, shouldn't she be in that school or whatever?"

Isshin frowned, "It was closed after White murdered the headmaster of the academy. Karin was there…she might talk to you about if you ask her. Regardless, I am glad to see you two again, but I cannot stay for long. Please look after Karin. I'll come by to check in on you guys again, but right now I have to get back to the Seireitei."

Ganju looked as if he was about to protest, but Kukaku immediately shut him up as she directed a fierce look his way, "Alright fine, uncle…we understand. Serious stuff is happening, and you don't want to worry about the girl. We'll look after her…but if you want me to train her, then it's not gonna be in all that Shinigami nonsense. I'll train her Shiba Style."

"I could stay and train her as well if you'd like me to, Captain Shiba," Rukia volunteered much to Kukaku and Ganju's displeasure.

"You're a lieutenant…you sure you have the time to do that?" Isshin asked.

Rukia nodded, "Captain Ukitake has ordered our squad to train for battle anyways…I could just do it out here. Would you mind telling him I'm out here if he asks?"

"Well I suppose that's fine with me then…I'll pass it along to him," Isshin nodded.

The hot-headed Kukaku immediately denounced the suggestion, "I don't think so, brat. As if I'd let Kaien's killer share a roof with the Shiba family. You're out of your mind!"

"I believe Kuchiki had something she wanted to say about that," Isshin pushed the girl slightly forward gesturing for her to fulfill the reason she came to begin with.

Rukia shamefully looked up as she met Kukaku and Ganju's faces. She seemed very genuine as she bowed her head, "I'm sorry about what happened to Kaien. Believe me, not a day goes by that I don't regret how things fell apart. Kaien was like a mentor to me, and I miss him."

Ganju seemed more convinced by Rukia's apology as he looked over for Kukaku's response. Kukaku simply sighed, "I told myself that if you ever apologized I'd forgive you…so I guess that's that then. Fine…you can stay too. Karin might be better off learning all that formal Shinigami stuff from one of you anyways. Still…don't go assuming we're all good now. This is more for her than you."

"Take care you two…we'll catch up some more whenever I come back to check in on you. Be safe, Karin and train well. I'll keep you informed if we learn anything new about Yuzu's situation," Isshin said as he turned to take his leave.

Before he made it out of the room, Karin called out, "What about Ichigo? I want to know if you guys find anything about him too."

Isshin frowned, "It wouldn't do any good honestly…the brother you knew isn't coming back. Still, I'll pass along any relevant information as it comes to me. Take care, and thanks for taking her in Kukaku."

After Isshin left the room, Kukaku immediately looked at Karin eyeing her up, "So…you're what a teenager? Hmph…well I guess I'll go find a room for you to stay in while you're here. Come with me."

Rukia stood there somewhat awkwardly not entirely sure where she was going to sleep. The raven haired woman sighed to herself, '_I wonder…if all that happened to Ichigo after he became a hollow then what could have happened to Kaien?_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Distant Hueco Mundo Outlands, Soifon XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Time seemed almost nonexistent in the vast empty wastelands of Hueco Mundo. Soifon had no way of knowing how long had passed, but she was still sitting near the entrance where she emerged onto the surface. The woman looked around hopelessly lost. She was lost both emotionally and literally it seemed.

Part of her wondered if she was crying beneath her hollow mask, but given the strange tingle she felt on her face, there was no way of knowing for sure. Her eyes felt dry and she squinted partially as sand blew in all directions. Despite her rising apathy and deep hopelessness of the situation, she couldn't help but wonder how or why the ugly monster saved her from being executed…or even where it was. '_Maybe I should have followed it…I wonder what it was doing down in that cavern? How did I call it? I just thought about how White escaped the first time…what made me do that? Was it my instincts…to survive? Why would any part of me want to live on…like this?! Like one of them?!_'

She continued sitting there for what felt like hours, but given Hueco Mundo's eternal night, she couldn't tell. The hollowfied captain looked around in a half-aware state of denial, '_Is this really happening? What have I become? I'm not an actual hollow am I? What am I supposed to do out here? Why couldn't the other captains help me? This has to be some kind of dream_.'

"This isn't real…I'm not a hollow. Aizen must be using his illusions to torture me or something. They couldn't turn a Shinigami into a hollow like this could they? It's impossible!" She spoke aloud. The sound of her voice rattling with a hollow echo frightened her greatly.

She shook her head stoically, "This is all just a trick…to get me to betray the Soul Society. I'm not really a hollow. There's no way this is real. Nice try White…Aizen. You two can't fool me with your illusions."

Deciding to finally get up she simply began to walk in a random direction. Hours must have passed as she walked numbly unaware of her surroundings, '_Everything looks the same_. _This isn't real…I'm still me. I'm not a hollow!_'

As Soifon continued onward, the reality of her situation was hitting harder and harder. '_I'm screwed…this is all HIS fault! This isn't fair…why did they do this to me?! Why'd the Soul Society try to execute me? It's not like I chose this!_'

The woman balled a fist as anger began to surge through her veins, "URGHH! Why?! Why me?! I HATE YOU WHITE! You damn monster! You'll only be happy if you drag the Soul Society down into this misery with the rest of your vile kind! You won't break me! You hear me!? You'll pay for this, you arrogant bastard!"

Her hand began to shake with rage as she stopped walking. The woman looked up into the sky angrily. Suddenly, she began to remember the conversation Aizen and Ichigo had about the moon and its effect on hollows. Her eyes fixated on the crescent moon with rage, "What comfort do they find in moonlight?! What light were they even talking about?! There's no light here…this place is a second hell!"

She reached her hand up towards the moon with a squeezing motion, "Forever out of reach huh? How could anything live like this?! GAH!"

Soifon's extended hand glowed brightly as a large yellow cero shot skyward towards the moon. She watched the cero as it flew extremely high, but ultimately it had no effect on the moon. The woman simply shook her head and dropped to her knees.

Her anger felt like it was finally starting to die down after a while. '_There has to be some escape from this nightmare…I can't live like this. I won't live like this._'

Her golden eyes focused back on the moon again. She stared at it wondering if she was at the mercy of some kind of cosmic joke.

"If there's anyone out there watching…please save me. I'll do anything. I wish I could go back. I never would have volunteered for this stupid mission. My pride got me in this mess. I realize that now…I've learned my lesson. I don't want this…I don't deserve this. Please…somebody…help. Yourichi! Kyouraku! Soul King! Ichimaru! Anyone?!" She said almost pleadingly to the sky.

"I'd take it all back if I could! This isn't right…" she finally lost her voice and slumped over onto the ground. Her eyes trailed down onto the hole above her chest. She stared at it sadly for an indeterminate amount of time.

'_I should just lie down and wait to die…it shouldn't take long in this place. I don't deserve pity, or salvation. I'm pathetic. What's the point of yelling or being angry anymore? I lost and there's nothing I can do about it. I can't go anywhere or do anything…what would be the point?_' She thought to herself as waves of depression came washing over her.

Her attention snapped back to reality when she heard an incoming sound. It was likely drawn there by her shouting or possibly the cero she had fired earlier. Whatever the case, she sensed something heading her way at high speed. Looking around the horizon, she spotted two unusual looking hollows. They were clearly arrancars based on their exposed skin and petite forms.

Soifon experienced a strange feeling of anxiety seeing the approaching hollows and immediately decided to bolt away. Her adrenaline from the situation snapped her out of the sluggish introversion as she felt her heart race. She didn't even have time to wonder why she was running away. Moments prior she was hoping for something to come kill her. Why was she running away now? This question seemed to faze out of her mind as she sped up her pace.

Her speed was remarkable as she slowly began to gain distance from the pursuers. Soifon didn't make it far before she noticed they were no longer chasing her. The petite, former captain looked around for a moment curiously, '_What the hell was that all about? Where'd those hollows go?_'

Against her better judgment she remained still for a moment trying to track the horizon for their whereabouts. Seconds later sand shot out of the ground as the two hollows cut her off from different angles. Reflexively, Soifon dove out of the way and drew her Zanpakuto. She stared down the attackers with deadly intent.

They both shared a remarkably similar appearance much to her confusion. Both were obviously female and they had matching mask fragments on their heads. One had shorter red hair and the other had longer blue hair which was parted in pigtails. They each had white outfits, with colored skirts, armlets, and leggings. The only difference was one wore red while the other wore blue.

Soifon couldn't help but wonder if they were twins or something. She held up her Zanpakuto and stared the two arrancars down with deadly intent. They both exchanged a brief look with one another before drawing dagger like Zanpakutos from the sheathes behind their headband-like mask fragments

The red one's dagger erupted into a flame sword, whilst the blue one's dagger formed into a lightning charged whip. Soifon reflexively took a step back as she tried to gauge their power. They were clearly strong and were likely there to fight judging by their stoic glares.

She hissed at them angrily, "You here to kill me? Is White too good to do it himself?!"

"White? Is that supposed to be somebody's name?" the red one asked uncertainly.

'_Huh? They don't know who White is?!_' Soifon thought bewildered.

The blue one cracked her whip threateningly, "Hey, she asked you a question! Are you going to answer or not?"

Soifon growled at them aggressively, "If you're gonna kill me then just get in over with. I'm not going down without a fight though!"

'_Why would I say that? Didn't I want to die like five minutes ago?_' Soifon couldn't help but wonder. She didn't understand where her strange compulsion to live was coming from.

"Relax…we're not going to kill you if we don't have to. How long have you been in the Outlands? We saw your cero. Why were you shooting it in the sky?" The red haired one asked.

"Outlands? Where the hell am I anyways? Is this anywhere near Las Noches?!" Soifon demanded.

The twin arrancars traded looks of surprise upon hearing her mention Las Noches. Soifon noticed them looking behind her and slowly glanced back.

"Las Noches? You mean the ancient palace? It was demolished a long time ago after the Great Purge. We're countless leagues away from that graveyard of a ruin." a third voice sounded.

Soifon swiftly spun around and eyed the third arrival. It was another arrancar much to her displeasure. She shook her head confused, '_Leagues? What kind of measurement of distance is that?_'

This third arrancar seemed stronger than the other two for some reason. She had lavender colored hair, dark blue eyes, and a mask fragment that greatly resembled a feathered headpiece of some kind. The central part went across her forehead and had two spiked extensions on either side with something resembling feathers sticking out of them. The feathers had a strange translucent glow much to Soifon's confusion. A closer look at the mask fragment revealed it was something akin to a winged crown.

She was taller than the other two, and was wearing attire very similar to some of the outfits the arrancars in Las Noches wore. The style seemed almost identical. She had black boots that went up to her thighs, a long white loincloth skirt, and some kind of tight, sleeveless, midriff top. Her core was well toned and appeared to have a navel piercing. Soifon could see her hollow hole below the arrancar's curvy chest and dead center in her torso. Matching armlets similar to her boots extended from her wrists up to her shoulders. Her left shoulder had a distinctive mark upon closer inspection. On her shoulder there was a tattoo that shocked Soifon greatly. It was the number 1.

'_Is she one of the Espada!?_' Soifon thought worriedly as she eyed the woman up and down.

The arrancar looked at her somewhat curiously, "You're not a vasto lorde or a Shinigami…yet I see a hollow hole, clothing, and a Zanpakuto. Are you an imperfect arrancar? Why are you looking for Las Noches?"

'_Good question…I wish I knew myself_,' Soifon thought. She remained silent as she cautiously glared at the woman, '_Does she not know about White and his army? She definitely is an Espada judging by that Number 1 on her shoulder. Yet she said Las Noches was a ruin? How could she be an Espada if she doesn't know about White? Just how long has she been out here? How far away from Las Noches am I then?!_'

The lavender haired hollow appeared saddened as she shook her head, "Regardless of what you've heard, Las Noches is a crumbled ruin…one that was destroyed a long time ago by the Shinigami. It's something of a legend to the hollows out here. You're not the first hollow I've seen looking for it.'

'_She speaks as if it's some kind of lost city in this desert…the hell?_' Soifon found the situation perplexing.

"What's your name? You do know your name? Or are you one of the crazy ones?" The arrancar asked.

"My name means nothing to you or anyone, so why bother saying it? I'm an abomination…feel free to interpret that however you'd like," Soifon finally replied bitterly.

The red and blue arrancars moved in closer as they looked to their obvious master for some kind of order. The lavender haired arrancar frowned, "Abomination huh? It's funny…most Vasto Lordes have that line of thought until they become perfect arrancars. How long have you been on the surface? You're quite small…I imagine you were a Vasto Lorde, am I right?"

"I don't remember anything…" Soifon replied. She hoped to avoid giving away unnecessary information. If this arrancar didn't know about Las Noches' current state, then it was definitely in her best interest to feign ignorance and pretend like she was a nobody.

'_If she really is an Espada then she's easily captain level…I don't want to piss her off if I don't have to. Maybe I should play along until I find out what she knows. It makes no sense that an Espada wouldn't know about Las Noches being populated with arrancars._' Soifon thought to herself for a moment.

"I see…well that isn't unheard of I suppose. Sometimes imperfect arrancars might forget their former evolutions. You look pretty human to me…you might get there on your own sooner or later…though it's quite rare for loners to become arrancars," The lavender haired arrancar stated calmly.

Soifon cocked her head, "So what is an Arrancar exactly?"

"Hmm, well that's an interesting question. Every arrancar would say something different, but in my opinion, Arrancars are as close to human as a hollow can become. It's not a bad thing, truly. It's one of the few things that makes living bearable in Hueco Mundo. I think you'll grow to appreciate it once your evolution is complete," the arrancar leader said optimistically.

"So have you ever been to Las Noches? You speak as if you've seen it…" Soifon changed the subject as nonchalantly as possible.

"Ah yes…you have a fixation on that place. Many powerful hollows seek it out at some point during their lives here. Vasto Lordes in particular used to gather there whenever they were ready to accept their humanity," the lavender beauty stated.

The former captain's eyes widened, "So you have been there then? You never thought about looking for it again?"

The arrancar leader shook her head, "I used to live there before the Great Purge…but I can't bring myself to ever go near that ruin again. It would bring up too many bad feelings that should remain buried. I don't particularly care to sulk in grief. Regret will kill you if you let it."

"Regret? Great Purge? What are you talking about, exactly? What happened there?" Soifon asked carefully. She was deeply intrigued by the fact that these arrancars didn't seem to have any connection to White whatsoever. It was almost as if they were time-lost or something.

"It's a long story…" the arrancar sighed.

'_I wonder if it's a good idea to mention White to her? She doesn't seem to have any clue as to what's going on between the hollows and Shinigami right now. Maybe it's best if I just kept that to myself until I figure more information out. She seems to think I'm an arrancar_.' Soifon thought.

"Who even built Las Noches anyways? Was it the arrancars? I wouldn't mind hearing the story," Soifon continued her questioning.

"If you must know, the King did a long time ago. His name was Zangetsu. He and his nine strongest followers were called the Espada. They were the first and greatest arrancars. They ruled over this desert in the past. In that time, Vasto Lordes were far more prevalent. Zangetsu united them all…and created order in this chaotic world. He created safety…he brought happiness," She trailed off.

'_Zangetsu? Huh…so White wasn't the first Hollow King? Wait, Espada?! Did I hear her correctly?_' Soifon thought somewhat interested in the subject.

The former captain stared at the lavender haired arrancar intently, "So what happened to it then?"

After a brief pause, the arrancar swallowed a lump in her throat and continued, "It prospered for a long time, but…things weren't perfect. The Shinigami eventually discovered the truth about Hueco Mundo's rising arrancar population. The very idea terrified them…for Shinigami believe it is their right to dictate what the balance of the universe should be."

The blue arrancar sighed, "Balance…that's what they like to call it. It's freaking stupid if you ask me. What balance is there in them having all the power and hollows living like soul-starved fiends?"

The red haired arrancar nodded in agreement, "Yeah, they don't know what being hollow is like. The hunger…the fear…the emptiness. I think they hate arrancars just because they don't like the idea of their enemy being human."

"But how did Las Noches get destroyed though? What started the whole conflict?" Soifon asked more specifically. The subject matter of this conversation deeply troubled her.

"The Shinigami and their disregard for our right to exist is the main reason it fell. They and their bigoted rulers thought we were monsters…abominations. They were scared of us because we were hollows with humanity. We had Zanpakutos as well. We were a threat to their control and they wanted us dead. Yet even in spite of that fact, Zangetsu tried to offer peace to them. He called for a summit meeting in the world of the living. Unfortunately, they didn't show up with any intention to discuss peace. They outright declared war on us and spoke of purging our kind from Hueco Mundo. The honorless bastards even attacked us at the summit meeting…and killed one of the Espada in the battle. After retreating to Hueco Mundo, the Espada collectively agreed to go to war with the Shinigami," the strange arrancar continued.

Soifon was literally shocked by this new information. She could barely even blink as she stared at the leader of the arrancar trio.

"Well, needless to say…the Espada lost. Zangetsu fell in battle, and the rest of the Espada fell into disarray. They clashed in civil war which ultimately left Hueco Mundo crippled. The Shinigami follow-up invasion destroyed most of the palace and wiped out everyone that was left. This is what came to be known as the Great Purge. Though I doubt there's many alive who remember it. The Shinigami responsible I believe called themselves the Gotei 13. After Zangetsu's death I ended up out here escaping the Great Purge," the arrancar concluded.

'_That's just…unreal. How could this Great Purge have even happened? There's nothing like that in our history records. Hell you'd think the Captain Commander would know about it. Although…this might be connected to the first generation Gotei 13. Still it doesn't make much sense. Also what does she mean King Zangetsu created the Espada? I thought that was something White invented? That would mean this has happened before…and White is the new King._' Soifon's eyes widened.

It was then that Soifon immediately realized why Yamamoto and Unohana were uncharacteristically worried about the arrancars, '_Captain Unohana knew what arrancars were. The Captain-Commander was angry when he heard about White being Hueco Mundo's King. There's no official record about how most of the original Gotei 13 died. Does that mean…The Captain-Commander and Captain Unohana were a part of this Great Purge?! They must have been some of the only survivors.'_

"I apologize if I'm being a bit overwhelming. I don't usually tell my story to a hollow I've just met. You seem like an awfully curious one," the lavender haired arrancar said after a brief silence.

Soifon looked up, '_So she's as old as the Captain-Commander? Certainly doesn't look it…I wonder if something has kept her from aging this whole time? Maybe hollow regeneration slows the aging process? She looks pretty…for a hollow._'

"What's kept you going this long? I mean…what's the point of living as an arrancar out here?" Soifon asked

"That's a question all arrancars have to discover for themselves. There's no right or wrong answer. You have to follow your instincts and find your heart. Something that gives you meaning. For me it's as simple as helping other hollows. That is something I learned from Zangetsu," she replied.

"No offense, but that sounds stupid as hell." Soifon countered.

"You seem like a lonely, bitter person to me…so I imagine you might not understand. Or maybe you do, and you're just too afraid to admit it to yourself?" the lavender beauty retorted.

Soifon hissed at her in annoyance, "I'm not a lonely person, I'm a damn a hollow! There's a difference!"

Upon finally admitting that she was a hollow out loud, Soifon felt a strange sadness. It didn't go unnoticed by the arrancar trio. Had she finally accepted the truth?

"Is there a difference though? I can see it in your eyes…you need help." the arrancar leader said.

"Help? What the hell are you saying? What do you want from me?" Soifon demanded.

"I'm not entirely sure what you're looking for, but I'll extend an invitation to you if you'd like. The Outskirts can be pretty lonely and dangerous. Nobody in Hueco Mundo should have to live alone," the woman said as she extended her hand.

"You want me to…join you?" Soifon asked disbelievingly.

"No duh…why else would she have talked to you this long?" the blue haired arrancar laughed.

Soifon could still barely believe how disconnected this former espada was from Hueco Mundo's current happenings. '_How the hell can she not know about White and his Espada?! I was under the impression he was like the god-king of Hueco Mundo. I can barely believe she hasn't once caught any trace of White's Power in this place. I mean we'd have to be pretty damn far away to outrange Las Noches._'

"What have you got to lose? I already told you we're not going to hurt you unless you attack us," the red haired arrancar asked.

"She never did tell us her story…" the blue haired one added.

"And I'm not going to either. Just kill me or leave me alone. I've heard enough of all this." Soifon growled.

"I guess we should introduce ourselves then at the very least. My name is Athena Plateado by the way. These two are my companions Yin and Yang. They've been with me for a while now. You don't have to come with us, or even tell us about your past…but I'd at least like to know your name. You seem interesting." the arrancar said coolly.

"Soifon…" was all the former Shinigami said in response.

"Well, Soifon, it was nice meeting you. I hope you find what you're looking for," Athena reiterated.

"Wait so we wasted all this time and we're not even bringing her with us?" the blue haired arrancar said somewhat annoyed.

The red haired one rolled her eyes, "Whatever, let's just go."

'_She is a former Espada…she didn't even mention herself being one at all during her little story. There's gotta be a reason for that. I want to know more about this…_' Soifon thought briefly.

As the arrancars turned to leave, Soifon spun around seriously, "Wait!"

They all stopped and glanced back at her curiously. Athena tilted her head interested, "Yes, Soifon?"

Reluctantly she sighed, "I guess I have nowhere else to go…I'll follow you around. Where were you going anyways?"

"You can come back to our little base. It's nothing special, but it's good shelter from sandstorms and the like." Athena said cheerily.

"Oh my god, make up your mind…jeez." Yin shook her head.

"Chill out, Yin…no need to get all upset. She agreed to follow Athena…she's one of us now," Yang said dismissively to her blue haired twin.

'_What am I even doing right now? What just came over me?_' Soifon thought to herself as she followed Athena.

Moments later she felt a strange feeling on her face. A blindingly bright light burst from her mask seconds afterward. Soifon could barely describe the feeling as pieces of her mask began to flake off. After it was over, the only part that remained were the two short extensions somewhat resembling hornet antennae.

She looked around completely shocked, "What just happened?!"

The former captain immediately looked at her reflection through her Zanpakuto. She watched with shock as the blackness left her eyes and her golden irises returned to a normal brown. Her Zanpakuto began to glow shortly afterward much to her confusion.

"Looks like you just reached your perfect transformation," Athena said with a smile.

"Talk about timing huh?" Yang said somewhat amused.

'_So I'm a full arrancar now? What the hell?! What kind of game is White playing at?! Did he intend for this to happen or was he hoping the Soul Society would kill me?_' Soifon thought.

"Come on, Soifon, I'll show you around our little base," Athena gestured.

'_What the hell am I going to do now?_' Soifon wondered.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Las Noches, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As Ichigo made his way down the hall, he thought about what he had done to Soifon. Looking back on it, he partially wondered if perhaps he had gone a bit overboard. He couldn't quite explain what came over him. The eyes of ignorance and bigotry had truly set him off. Something about the way Soifon hated hollows bothered him.

The retribution he inflicted upon her would be an extremely harsh lesson. Part of him wondered what she would do once she realized she was doomed. He simply shook his head dismissing any further thoughts, '_She's probably being executed right now…at least she'll know what it feels like to die for being a hollow. I doubt she'll live at all…I wonder what she would say to me if she did? I wouldn't doubt it if she hated me even more now…but at least I got my point across. That might also deter any more Shinigami espionage for a good while._'

He was drawn from his thoughts as an excited voice caught his attention, "Ichigo! There you are! Where have you been?!"

His gaze shifted around his shoulder where he spotted an over-active Apacci leaping onto his back. She didn't quite make it as he swiftly dodged her leap. Before she could go plummeting onto the ground, he caught her around the waist.

Upon realizing that she missed, the arrancar girl nervously turned her head around and looked up at Ichigo. He released his hold allowing the girl to her feet and shook his head, "You were almost fast enough…I might not have noticed if you didn't scream in advance."

"Pfft…yeah right! I was just giving you a fair chance!" she beamed.

"You're the one who needs a fair chance. In fact, you need all the help you can get…" the sultry, condescending voice of Sung-Sun sounded from somewhere nearby. Apacci's eyes lit up enraged as she jerked her head around looking for the snake arrancar.

Upon seeing her, barely around the corner, Apacci cracked a fist, "Care to repeat that you scaly snake girl?!"

"I am in fact a snake girl…good observation," Sung-sun said amused.

"Stop being a smart-ass, Sung-sun!" Mila Rose interrupted as she caught up to the snake arrancar. The Lioness' eyes lit up with excitement upon spotting Ichigo.

"Ichigo!? It feels like forever since we last saw you! You never visit us or Lady Harribel," Mila Rose said with a disappointed face.

"Ugh…can't you two go find somebody else to bother? Ichigo was busy helping me with something. You two should give us some privacy for goodness sake!" Apacci said unhappily.

"Privacy?! Just what the hell kind of 'help' are you talking about?" Mila Rose demanded.

Sung-sun shook her head and giggled, "No need to worry, Mila Rose. Apacci is too innocent for what you're thinking. Besides…from my point of view, it looked like she just caught up to him moments earlier.

"You guttural pest! Do you ever shut up Sung-sun?" Apacci sighed.

"Guttural? Are you sure you even know what that word means?" Sung-Sun laughed.

Apacci cracked a fist, "I do in fact! It means you sound annoying as hell!"

"Are you implying my voice is harsh? I have a very delicate and beautiful voice I'll have you know. Perhaps you should learn to speak like a proper lady. You're the guttural one if you ask me," Sung-Sun retorted.

"Maybe you should stop being a creepy stalker…that doesn't seem very lady-like," Apacci shot back.

The comment seemed to take Sung-Sun off guard, "S-stalker? That's some bold claims you're making, Apacci."

"Hey I'm not the one who was creeping around corners…" Apacci retorted.

Sung-Sun reflexively covered her face with a sleeve, "You certainly have crude way of saying things. I was actually walking around the corner when I heard your loud-mouth."

"Well how's about you walk away then?" Apacci replied.

"Will you two just stop for one minute? So are you actually busy with Apacci right now, Ichigo?" Mila Rose derailed the argument much to Ichigo's relief.

He looked over at his Fraccion who had an almost puppy dog look in her eyes. After a brief silence he nodded, "Yeah, she wanted to talk about something I believe."

"Oh…" Mila Rose looked away, "sorry to bother you then."

"Where were you two headed anyway?" Ichigo asked as he looked between Sung-Sun and Mila Rose.

They both traded brief glances before Sung-Sun answered, "Well Lady Harribel sent us off to train on our own since she's busy training with the other Espada."

"What? They're training together? Without me telling them too?" Ichigo asked surprised.

"Oddly enough, yes. From what we heard, apparently Lilynette convinced Starrk and Barragan to train together. Then they invited Lady Harribel as well. It seems like all of the Espada are training more seriously now," Mila Rose replied.

"That's good…I might pay them a visit later then. You two should get to training. I'll set aside some time to hang out with you whenever I can," Ichigo said with a smile.

Mila Rose grinned happily, "I look forward to it." Afterward, she brushed past him and winked. Apacci rolled her eyes at the sight. The busty lioness charged down the hallway with an optimistic attitude.

Sung-Sun walked by and gave Ichigo and unusual look, "Do we get our own private conversations with you too? I wouldn't mind you helping me out with a new ability I've been working on."

Apacci leered at Sung-Sun for her long, drawn out sentence. She crossed her arms, "New ability huh? Pfft…can't wait to see whatever that's supposed to be."

"Umm…sure I guess. I don't see a problem with that, Sung-Sun. I can continue helping you and Mila Rose out a bit since Harribel is busy. Although, I have a lot of other stuff going on, so it can't be for too long." Ichigo said with a nod.

Sung-Sun looked between Ichigo and Apacci, "Any time you can spare for me would be very beneficial. Thank you, Ichigo."

Apacci cracked a fist, '_What's with that weird look on her face? She's up to something…_'

After the other two girls were gone, Apacci glanced at Ichigo with a flustered face, "Hey so I know you're busy all the time and you probably don't really think about this kind of thing…but is anybody your favorite around here? Like…you know, to hang out with and stuff?"

"What kind of question is that," Ichigo laughed at her silly question.

"Hey I'm being serious!" Apacci replied.

Ichigo shrugged, "Well I don't know. I like everyone around here. We're all friends and family as far as I'm concerned. Don't get too worried about favorites and what not. That Gin guy was trying to get you all worked up. I like all of you, and I wouldn't keep you around if I didn't enjoy your company."

Apacci spaced out halfway through Ichigo's response. She only seemed to catch certain words, '_Friends…family? All of you? Ugh…I don't understand what that's supposed to mean! C'mon Apacci…you gotta ask him stuff directly when nobody else is around. I might not get another chance for awhile_.'

"That's not what I mean! Let's just say hypothetically you did like certain people over others…who would they be and why?" Apacci was having a difficult time gathering her thoughts.

Ichigo cocked his head, "Well I value loyalty and willpower above almost anything. Szayel's been working really hard lately to prove himself. I admire the guy for the time he puts into the projects I ask of him. It shows a lot of respect on his part. Ulquiorra's extremely loyal and he just seems to understand me better than most. He's strong and does little things around here that few people notice. Sousuke Aizen really seems to be coming around too. I trained with him recently and had a good talk. He's definitely better than I gave him credit for. Grimmjow has also surprised me as well…he's been training his Fraccion a lot. I feel like this place…and the Espada mean a lot to him. I haven't seen much of the rest of the Espada lately, but it's good to hear that they're working hard with one another."

"Are there any girls you like better than others? For whatever reason?" Apacci asked as nonchalantly as she could. The nervousness in her face was pretty obvious however.

"You don't need to prove yourself to me, Apacci. I already hold you, Loly, and Menoly in high standing. You are all my Fracciones after all," Ichigo said reassuringly.

She frowned, "What do you think of Neliel? I mean you hugged her…"

Before Apacci realized what was happening, Ichigo's arms wrapped around his follower. She seemed genuinely surprised as Ichigo hugged her.

He chuckled at her embarrassed reaction, "What makes you think I wouldn't hug you?"

She immediately looked away with a flushed face after it was over and seemed almost frustrated, '_Damn it! Why can't I speak right now? Say something, Apacci!'_

"I consider you one of my best friends, Apacci. So just keep doing what you're doing," Ichigo added.

'_Friends…wow I must look like an idiot.' _Apacci thought as she broke away from Ichigo's hug.

Nervously, the girl began to run away much to Ichigo's confusion. He looked at her retreating form uncertainly, "What's wrong, Apacci? Are you okay?"

It didn't take long for her to take off. Ichigo sighed, '_I thought she wanted me to hug her…she seems on edge about something. I wonder if I should follow her? Nah, I don't want to seem pushy. Maybe it's just best if I give her space. She really seems adamant about proving herself to me. I mean Nel's an Espada…she must not like the idea of Nel being closer to me than her. I wonder if she feels insecure about the whole thing._'

Meanwhile, a considerable distance away, Apacci charged into her room and slammed the door shut. She sat down against the door and slammed the back of her head against it, '_I'm so stupid! Why'd I run away? That was my chance…why did I get so scared?_'

A few moments of reflection quickly answered her own question, '_Was I afraid of what would happen? I don't want to just be friends with him…but that's where this whole thing seemed to be going. Damn! He must think I didn't like that hug since I ran away…I'm such an idiot! How am I supposed to get closer? How can I get him to notice me more? I'm going to have to be more aggressive…because that's the only way I'm going to be able to compete with that Nel bitch…or possibly Harribel._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Las Noches, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As he continued onward, down the hallway, Ichigo thought about Apacci's reaction, '_I should go find out what's wrong with her later if she doesn't come back first. I mean all I did was hug her and say she was one of my best friends…wait it's not about something like that is it? Nah, I shouldn't go overboard in simplifying her emotions. I'll find out exactly what's bothering her later.'_

"Well well well…if it isn't the elusive High King himself. Where have you been hiding lately?" a familiar voice rang out. Ichigo looked over at an adjacent hallway and spotted none other than Loly standing there.

"Ichigo!" he heard Menoly's voice call out. Moments later he felt her wrap around one of his arms. Loly ran over and grabbed the other. He looked between the two of them confused, "What's up?"

"You forget about us or something? I haven't seen you in forever it seems!" Loly protested.

Menoly nodded in agreement, "Yeah, we've been training hard on something special. Also Loly and I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What's that exactly?" Ichigo wondered. Loly and Menoly both exchanged nods as if they were about to enact some kind of serious collaborative action.

"Well, we were wondering how you felt about this?" Loly asked.

"About what?" Ichigo responded. Not even a second later, they each leaned up to kiss him on opposite cheeks. Both seemed completely embarrassed having done it so boldly and immediately looked away blushing madly.

"What the? Did you two just…" Ichigo looked between the two of them. Though their faces were turned away, Ichigo could see that Loly had a small grin as if she were proud of herself for carrying through with it. Menoly's face was almost scared. She cautiously stole a glance over at Ichigo's reaction and immediately looked away flushed upon making eye contact.

"Well?" Loly asked, still not looking at him.

"Sorry if we're too forward, Ichigo…" Menoly apologized in advance.

"Why are you sorry? I don't mind…I'm not used to seeing you two act all cute like this," Ichigo laughed. I didn't realize you two had Dere sides."

"C-cute?" Menoly stuttered as she looked away with her blush amplified.

"Dere? What does that mean?" Loly said quietly to herself. She shook her head as she focused on the other key word. Loly grinned at his comment, "See I told you this would work, Menoly. Ichigo thinks we're cute."

"You're like little sisters, haha," Ichigo laughed, '_Karin and Yuzu did that to me when I was younger_.'

His brief thought about his sisters made him somewhat sad, but he tried to push it aside for the moment.

"S-sisters?!" Loly squeaked.

Menoly's face vaulted in horror, '_I really hope he's joking…he sees us as his sisters?! Are we seriously already out of the running for this?!_'

"Hold up! First of all…don't ever call us your sisters again. That was meant to uhh…Menoly?" Loly looked over for some kind of finishing comment.

"Meant to show you that we c-care about you, Ichigo…" Menoly managed to salvage Loly's sentence.

Loly nodded in agreement, "That's right! And we were just trying to let you know that we're a team, and that we should all stick together…in sickness and health…and all that other stuff."

"Yeah and unlike others who we won't mention specifically…Loly and I come as a pair," Menoly managed to overcome her nervousness as she finished up with that comment.

"That's right! We're a two for one special…the greatest pair you could ask for!" Loly announced proudly.

Ichigo looked over the two of them amused, "A pair huh? A pair of comedians? A pair of fighters? You gotta be more specific."

"Don't play stupid, Ichigo…we know that you know what this is," Loly said somewhat flustered.

"The funniest joke you two have ever played on me?" Ichigo laughed.

Loly gave Menoly a sharp nod. Without warning they both leaned in and kissed his cheeks again.

"Yeah it's a joke alright…in fact how's about you two wannabe vixens get lost!" the voice of none other than Apacci sounded.

Loly and Menoly both noticed Apacci blocking Ichigo's way now.

"Wannabe vixens? Is that the best you got?" Loly shook her head.

"Just when we were starting to make progress…" Menoly sighed.

Apacci gritted her teeth, "You two mind explaining this situation to me?"

"It's exactly what it looks like…we're expressing our affection for Ichigo and he's pretending like he's too dense to notice," Loly stated factually.

"What?!" Apacci's eyes widened.

"We've known him almost as long as you have…hell maybe longer since we met him first. So don't go assuming you have the right to monopolize Ichigo all to yourself," Menoly added.

"Earlier you said I was your friend, Ichigo. I was just w-well…given all that's happened with all these other girls, there's something I wanted to know. This is really awkward to ask you, but do you like any of us as more than friends?" Apacci finally managed to ask. Her struggle to get that sentence out was extremely evident between the stuttering and blushing.

'_Wait…what? So then this is about my romantic feelings? I didn't realize she felt that strongly. I mean, I know they all like me, but where did this come from? I blame you, Gin Ichimaru…and your sneaky fox face_,' Ichigo thought to himself for a moment.

After a super tense silence, he countered with a question, "Is that something you're all interested in? A closer than friends relationship with me?"

"I'm interested…" Apacci admitted somewhat nervously.

"Obviously Loly and I are," Menoly followed.

"Damn right!" Loly added with emphasis.

Ichigo looked between the three of them and sighed, "Well…I'm sure the problem here is pretty difficult to overlook. There's three of you…and you're all a part of the same Fraccion. I don't want to make a decision that will tear your friendships and teamwork apart or start up drama. Not to mention, we're at war with two factions right now. There's a lot of other things to worry about."

"Well Menoly and I are a pair…so you wouldn't really have to choose between us," Loly said with a blush.

"What are you saying?" Apacci gawked, "you two intend to share Ichigo? Screw that."

"Well, I mean I personally don't care if you wanna get in on that deal too. We're pretty cool with each other. This is original team White after all…" Menoly added with a similar flushed face.

Apacci started laughing, "You're kidding me right? Who would want to be in that kind of weird…relationship."

"This sounds like a bad idea to me…you girls trying to get me killed?" Ichigo sighed.

"Ohohoho! So you're not blind after all? You CAN see those mammoth-chest skanks trying to seduce you? I was almost starting to worry," Loly laughed, "you holding out for some other girl there Ichigo?"

"Is it Mila Rose? Sung-Sun? Neliel? Harribel? Is it not a girl at all?!" Menoly followed up with a gasp.

"Woah relax you guys…I like all of you a lot, but I don't want this kind of drama right now. That's why I've just been brushing off your advances. Besides, I don't know how I could choose one of you anyways. I don't want any of you to feel rejected. Because if that happened, then you'd feel bad and I'd feel worse...then everyone would slack off in training. It's a huge distraction," Ichigo sighed.

Apacci sent Ichigo a serious glare, "You know you're going to have to pick somebody eventually…I'm not like those two weirdos over there. I'm not down for whatever the hell their sick idea of sharing is."

"W-Weirdos? The hell did you just call us?!" Loly protested.

"Don't be so selfish, Apacci…Ichigo's the freaking King of Hueco Mundo after all. Are you saying you're worthy enough to be Queen? Honestly I doubt any of us can fill that slot…but that doesn't mean we can't be close you know?" Menoly stated.

Apacci felt a wave of insecurity hit her from that comment. She sighed and looked away embarrassed, "Hypothetically, if I ever did accept something stupid like that, what would you think, Ichigo? How would it work?"

"Well this just got extremely awkward. Listen girls, none of that is going to happen anytime soon, so just relax. There'll be time for this in the future, but right now I should get going," Ichigo said reassuringly. The three of them looked away somewhat displeased as Ichigo took his leave.

After he was gone, Apacci looked at Menoly and Loly incredulously, "So you two are saying you're okay with just being concubines essentially?"

"Look Apacci…Menoly and I like you so we're going to tell you this once. We have every intention of being closer to Ichigo whether or not we're his official mate. Maybe you should stop being such a prude about it and get on board. Besides, if you impress him enough, maybe he'll pick you anyways," Loly sighed.

Menoly nodded, "Yeah what's the big deal? So long as we're with Ichigo, and we all get our turn, then I don't mind."

"Ichigo made a good point though…things would get really weird and tense if he just picked one girl. I mean don't me wrong, I'd love if he exclusively chose me, but that kind of thinking is really illogical if you think about it. Not to mention, that would put us in direct competition with Nel and Harribel. At least this way, we all still get a piece of the action you know?" Loly said nodding.

"I…guess there are some perks to it. But what the hell kind of relationship would that be? I mean how would it work? How can you be close to one person with other people in the way?" Apacci wondered.

"Who knows…but I'm not willing to give up Ichigo after everything he's done for us. Maybe it won't work…but I'm not about to get side-lined by some big chest skank like Nel or Harribel," Loly replied.

Apacci sighed, "It's the most ridiculous thing ever if you ask me…but Ichigo was pretty clear about not choosing somebody specifically right now. I guess it wouldn't hurt to see how it goes…at least for the time being."

"Well even if it doesn't work out, it'll give us all a fair chance to make an impression," Menoly nodded.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Good! I can feel your anger…strike me down and I shall become more willing to update on a regular basis than you can possibly imagine. Ah yes…sorry this took way longer than expected. Partially it was procrastination. I've been watching lots of anime lately...you know stuff like Saint Seiya, Berserk, and other classic favorites. I kind of got side-tracked doing things outside as well. I was almost like a social, real person. I've been snowboarding a lot and shopping for Christmas stuff too. Priorities and all...but I apologize for the long ass wait. Anyways, on to the chapter commentary:

So big things are going down with Szayel, Zommari, and BG9. We're going to catch up with them next chapter and find out what BG9's fate is. I know some of you don't really care about Quincy perspectives in this fic, but they're going to matter pretty soon in the next couple of chapters. They won't be too pleased about their observer group going missing. Yeah I modified Zommari's first release into something more suited for an Espada. In the Manga and anime he's said to be one of the fastest, but I don't believe them when he's in the pink pumpkin release you know? Hopefully that didn't bother any purists too much. I want to sort of patch up the things Kubo dropped the ball on.

Up next we had the encounter with Isshin, Karin, Rukia, and the Shibas. Sorry if not much happened there, but that's all building up for something too. Rukia decided to stay there with Karin as well. Will she and Karin hit it off as friends?

The big highlight of the chapter of course is Soifon's encounter. As she was going through the various stages of grief, she encounters three arrancars unaffiliated with Ichigo. I know some of you were wondering if Yin and Yang were going to be in this story…well they are. As for Athena, there's a few things I wanted to mention about her specifically. Now normally I'm not the biggest fan of OC's in anime fanfictions because there's so many characters already…but she's there for several important reasons. Notice the surname Plateado and her rank. Those are obvious plot points…but she's also there to help Soifon deal with hollow life. Now I know there's at least one of you that's going to immediately recognize who she's loosely based off of. That's right, the beloved Saori Kido from Saint Seiya! If you noticed that before reading this, then take my high five for being a Saint Seiya fan. (Or "Sailor Moon for boys" as my imouto used to call it). How will Soifon progress with these new arrancars?

Finally, there was the interesting revelation to Ichigo that the girls are more interested than he initially thought. Now I know a lot of people hate harems and stuff, so hear me out will ya? I know most harems are distracting and the "serious critics" feel like they cheapen characters. While that's definitely true to a certain extent, I hope most can simply like it for what it is…wishful fiction. Besides, that stuff isn't really the primary focus of the story. This isn't really going to be like a "traditional harem" that most people are used to. I'm trying to avoid too many tropes and nonsensical bullshit with it. It's going to be as realistic a harem as I'm capable of writing. Now the reason Loly, Menoly, and Apacci all pretty much confessed in this chapter is because they've known Ichigo the longest, and they don't want to be overshadowed by others. Their idea of sharing is because they have to for the sake of progression. Like their reason for agreeing on a temporary harem at the end of the chapter is due to Ichigo's position on the matter. He's not going to play favorites while important stuff is going on. Now don't panic there you hopeless romantics! This was sort of an icebreaker on the whole girls pursuing Ichigo thing. There will be plenty of individual development and some may or may not join in on the harem. Everyone's asking about Harribel…fear not, her time is coming. Now this harem isn't going to be too big, but I can roughly say around 10 have various appearances in it.

Also, a couple of you were wondering why Hooleer was down in the Menos Forest. Well without too many spoilers...that wasn't Hooleer that saved Soifon. More on that to come...


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: The Promise of a Wish**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Yuzu, Silbern XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yuzu awoke from a loud knock on her door. Her eyes shot open as she immediately jumped out of bed. The instant surge of adrenaline upon waking was an all too common thing now. The longer she had spent in the Silbern, the more reflexive she had become. Even the slightest things sent her into a hyper-aware state of mind.

The teen cautiously made her way over towards the door and opened it. She was confused upon seeing the arrival. Standing outside her room was none other than Bambietta. Yuzu kept her resolve as she slowly examined the Sternritter. Bambietta was alone and she seemed to be relatively calm from what Yuzu could tell.

Although she had difficulty telling time in the Silbern, Yuzu knew it was well past her normal waking hours, which surprised her. '_Wasn't today Candice's turn to train me? Why didn't she wake me up?_' she thought to herself.

She was drawn from her distracting thoughts as her attention focused fully on Bambietta. The dark haired woman had a nonchalant look on her face as if she wasn't really in a hurry to be anywhere. Yuzu tilted her head uncertainly as she finally spoke, "Bambietta-san?"

"Hey Yuzu-chan, can I come in?" Bambietta asked casually.

Yuzu wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea, but she reluctantly nodded in acceptance. Bambietta appeared to be in a decent mood, and Yuzu couldn't help but wonder what she wanted. The girl slowly stepped aside and held her arm up gesturing for Bambietta to come inside.

Afterward, the woman looked at Yuzu, "You mind closing the door?"

"Why? Is there something you wanted from me?" Yuzu asked not entirely on board with the suggestion.

Bambietta rolled her eyes, "Whatever, keep it open then. Anyways, I came here because I wanted to talk to you about some things."

"About Ichigo?" Yuzu guessed immediately.

The Quincy woman shrugged, "Well not exactly. It's more about you…"

"You want to know about my Schrift then?" Yuzu assumed.

"Hmph…you're more blunt than I remember. That training must be paying off. Bazz B and Candice toughening you up?" Bambietta asked with a grin.

Yuzu decided not to respond as she simply stared at Bambietta awaiting the woman's true motive.

After a brief silence, Bambietta chuckled, "So you're L for Light? Have you tried using your powers at all yet?"

"No, I was trying to get better at the basics first," Yuzu answered honestly.

"Well, I'm sure you're probably wondering where Candice is right now. She wanted you to sleep in today since you've been working hard at your training. Candice decided to give you the day off, but she probably needed the break herself if you ask me," Bambietta explained.

Yuzu seemed doubtful, "Why wouldn't she come and tell me herself then?"

"Candice is asleep right now, but she'll be awake later. So I came by because I wanted to level with you and maybe alleviate some of the misunderstandings that arose between us. We didn't exactly give you the best first impression. I was still a bit riled up over the whole battle with your brother. I wasn't entirely sure what Yhwach had in store for you, but if you're actually a Sternritter, then there's no reason for us to be on bad terms," Bambietta explained.

"What are you saying?" Yuzu asked.

Bambietta sighed, "I'm sorry for being a bitch to you. You've probably realized this by now, but I am not really a nice person. That being said…I'm an honest person. I won't lie to you about anything, Yuzu-chan. I don't like innocence…and you reek of it. It makes me sick to look at you when you stare at me so helplessly."

"I'm sorry…I can't help it," Yuzu replied timidly.

The dark haired woman shook her head and growled, "Don't get all submissive on me just because I said something you don't want to hear. I am not here to try and scare you or tell you what to do, but hear me out for a minute."

Bambietta paused for a moment awaiting Yuzu's acknowledgement. After a brief silence, the teen reluctantly nodded. Bambietta closed the door with a swift push a moment later before looking at Yuzu again, "I'm a killer…a dangerous one too. I have done some pretty terrible things to good and bad people alike. I don't discriminate between victims. I'd kill another Sternritter just as easily as I'd kill a Shinigami or a Hollow. You know all this stuff about me, and I'm sure Bazz B has embellished his fair share of details too."

"Yes, he said you and Giselle were dangerous," was all Yuzu said in response. Part of her was getting nervous being in a room alone with Bambietta. She tried her best to appear calm nonetheless as she stared at Bambietta curiously.

"The most dangerous person in this place is his majesty, Yhwach. Him, Haschwalth, the elite Sternritters, and especially that little Gremmy prick. Stay away from all of them whenever possible. Yhwach may have made you a Sternritter, but don't think for a minute that it means anything. We're all expendable if we don't assert our power and prove ourselves to Yhwach," Bambietta stated.

"What do you mean? Why would Yhwach-sama's elite knights be expendable?" Yuzu wondered.

"Since you're still clueless, I'll explain it to you. For a normal Sternritter, Yhwach can easily take away any of our greater powers with Auswahlen. I doubt he explained how Sternritter powers work, so I'll tell you now. When he gives out a Schrift, he chooses a word from whatever letter it is, and the Quincy gifted it manifests the power on their own. He almost always assigns words that coincide with their owners. You create your own power off the word he gives you. Bazz B's Schrift was H for Heat. He turned it into fire based attacks. My Schrift is E for Explode. Needless to say I'm a reishi bomber. Yours will be based around whatever you choose to manifest it as. When you have a Schrift, you are able to achieve a greater spiritual state called a Vollstandig. It's our most powerful form. Unfortunately, should Yhwach ever use Auswahlen against one of us, it'll rob most of our power…and possibly our lives depending on whether or not we're powerful already. Though we may keep our Schrift's power, we would be unable to use Vollstandig or any greater Quincy abilities anymore," Bambietta explained in detail.

"Why would Yhwach-sama use that power though?" Yuzu asked shocked.

"Don't you get it? He becomes more powerful when he divides his soul out and invests it into other beings. Then he'll take out what we've done with it and make himself stronger. He also uses this power to keep all of the Sternritters in line. Some of the elite Sternritters are ridiculously powerful…how else would he control them?" Bambietta explained thoroughly.

"Didn't Yhwach-sama say that Uryu-san and I were immune to Auswahlen? Why would he give us Schrifts then?" Yuzu asked.

Bambietta shrugged, "I don't know, but it brings up a troubling fact. It means I'm probably more expendable than you," Bambietta replied.

"That's horrible…but then why do you all stay? How did you end up here?" Yuzu asked shocked.

Bambietta sighed, "Well that's a long story…needless to say Sternritter recruits are usually people that can't say no when asked to join. Mostly all of us were tempted by the dream of a greater future. Whether or not we'll get our wishes remains to be seen."

"What do you mean? Your wishes? How did you end up here, Bambietta-san?" Yuzu asked interested.

Bambietta looked away as she crossed her arms, "Well…that's personal. I'm not the kind of girl who goes spreading her past around for people's pity. Not to mention, it's not something I like to talk about with those I barely know."

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to offend. Would it be too invasive to ask you what your wish was? What made you believe in this place?" Yuzu asked uncertainly, "because I don't understand any of it. Why do the Quincies hate the hollows and the Shinigami?"

"The Shinigami believe in exterminating Quincies because we're a threat to their balance of the worlds. They regulate the amount of souls that exist in the World of the Living, The Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo. If any get out of balance, then it endangers the fabric of reality…at least that's the belief they stick by. Under the Soul King, this system of balance and rebirth is endless, but Quincies aren't a part of it. That is why we're enemies with Shinigami. They want to make us extinct because we're not a part of this system. Yhwach wants to kill the Soul King and take his place so that we can fix the current system. As for hollows…well they're the most lethal foe a Quincy can fight. They're poisonous to us…which makes them a major threat if allowed to prosper without restraint. We hate these enemies because they are the biggest threats our survival," Bambietta explained in detail.

Yuzu looked away not fully understanding, "Was it always like this? How do Quincies even exist if they're not part of this system?"

"We exist because of our lord, Yhwach…he created the Quincies. Every Quincy alive carries a piece of his soul and blood. You'd have to ask one of the older members if you're really interested in all the history behind it. I haven't been here half as long as a lot of them, so I couldn't tell you anything for certain," Bambietta replied.

Yuzu shook her head, "But I'm human though…how could I have had any relation to this race?"

"Quincies are humans…they're just descendants who are spiritually attuned to Yhwach and his powers. You ever heard of Nephilim? The Angel-blooded humans? Quincies are kind of like that," The dark haired woman clarified. Yuzu didn't seem to fully believe it as she stared blankly.

"So Quincies are angels then?" Yuzu asked disbelievingly.

"Essentially, yes. Considering that Yhwach is god, that's the closest comparison I can make," Bambietta nodded.

"Then who is the Soul King?" Yuzu wondered.

Bambietta sighed, "Well I don't really know. But our lord, Yhwach, wants him dead..."

"So you used to be human too?" Yuzu asked.

Bambietta took a moment to pause before answering, "It feels like a lifetime ago, but I used to be human, yes. Well, I was still pure-blooded Quincy, but I didn't know it at the time. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you…if only to put things in better perspective."

"Tell me what?" Yuzu asked anxiously.

"I'll tell you about my past…" Bambietta took a few seconds to take in Yuzu's reaction as if wondering whether or not to go through with it. The teen seemed to have a genuine look of empathy and curiosity which ultimately led Bambietta to give in.

"When I was younger, I used to be pretty religious. I'd pray at a Dom everyday. I always had a fascination with spiritual things…even more so because of the war," Bambietta began.

"What's a Dom…and what war are you talking about?" Yuzu asked curiously.

"A Dom…you know a Kathedrale? It's a type of fancy church that has gothic architecture. I guess you don't see many of those where you lived? But anyways, the war I'm referring to was the Zweiter Weltkrieg…the biggest war in the World of the Living's history," Bambietta specified. Her laid back tone seemed to be shifting into a darker one much to Yuzu's surprise.

Yuzu didn't recognize the foreign words that Bambietta spoke, but assumed they were German. It was then that Yuzu realized that Bambietta was referring to the Second World War. She wasn't the biggest expert on history, but Yuzu was quick to realize something obvious.

"Were you a Nazi?" Yuzu asked surprised. The immediate conclusion seemed to click well in her head as it explained why Bambietta was the way she was. '_Maybe that's why she's so violent…all of these strange words they use around here must be German._'

The Sternritter looked at Yuzu and shook her head, "No I wasn't part of any political stuff or the military. I was a teenager barely older than you were when it all started. None of it really made sense to me when I was younger. My father and brother both fought in the war…though they didn't really have a choice."

"You don't look much older than a teenager…" Yuzu muttered louder than she meant to.

Bambietta gave Yuzu a quizzical glare, "Well…people age differently in the spirit world."

"How did it happen though? I mean…well please continue," Yuzu stammered through her own sentence.

"My father and brother were the only family I actually had, and since they were both conscripted, I had to live and work at the local Dom for a few years. It was okay, but I was afraid I'd be stuck there forever. It feels like a lifetime ago…" Bambietta sighed.

"So you were Christian?" Yuzu asked.

"Catholic…but it doesn't really matter either way. Neither one really turned out to be quite what I was expecting. It's funny how your peoples' religion ended up being closer to the truth than mine…" Bambietta sighed.

"You mean eastern religion?" Yuzu asked for clarification.

Bambietta nodded, "Yeah…the one with the whole rebirth cycle thing; I forget what it's called. But I digress…eventually the idea of being stuck at the Dom became irrelevant because one day the war came to us. I remember the bombs, the mortars, the tanks. All of the planes being shot down…a lot of people died. Even the Dom wasn't safe for very long. I can't really remember how long we waited through the bombings, but ground forces eventually moved through our town as well."

"So what happened? You were hiding in a church while fighting was going on outside?" Yuzu said surprised.

"Yes…normally soldiers had enough respect to avoid religious buildings, but we weren't so lucky. I should have fled the Dom when the bombings stopped, because all that place did was make us targets. Weak people love to gather together…like lambs. Those soldiers knew innocent people were hiding in the Dom, and they didn't care," Bambietta grimaced between her teeth.

"The church made you targets?" the Kurosaki teen asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, it's an obvious sanctuary where most civilians would feel safer and hide. As fate would have it, we were later discovered. I'll spare you the details, but things didn't go so well. We were captured and…" Bambietta stopped mid sentence. She seemed like she was having a hard time finishing her train of thought. It was obvious to Yuzu that this was a very unpleasant memory for Bambietta.

"Are you alright? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Yuzu interjected as she stared at Bambietta's unusual expression.

The dark haired Quincy took a deep breath before continuing, "They treated us terribly. Between watching the mortars and bombs destroy my home, and suffering the indignities of captivity…it all just made me numb after a while. I couldn't even cry anymore after that…nothing fazed me at all. I felt dead inside."

"How did you get out of there?" Yuzu asked softly.

"One day during our captivity, I woke up and I felt something…it was like an echo. It got louder and louder over time. I felt something again…rage. That last day of captivity, I awakened my Quincy Powers. Heavy trauma and stress is almost always a trigger for drawing them out of a person. I used my powers to get free…and to punish those soldiers. I always thought murder was such a terrible sin…but It's strange describing the feeling I got killing those people. Releasing all of my anger in an explosive rampage and the calmness I felt afterward was just indescribable."

"Umm…" Yuzu was beginning to get nervous the longer she listened to Bambietta's story. '_She's starting to scare me again._' Yuzu gulped.

"Don't look at me like I'm a psychopath, Yuzu-chan. I didn't enjoy killing them, but I was happy that they were dead. Being powerless is a terrible feeling, and it's something I never want to experience again. I don't expect you to understand. It's like I told you earlier…I'm a killer and I don't pretend like I'm not," Bambietta concluded.

"That's horrible…what did the other captives say when you killed those men?" Yuzu asked curiously.

Bambietta shook her head, "They thought I was possessed and ran away from me. Some died in the streets to gunfire just to escape. I terrified them. After it was all over, I ran away from the Dom too. I ran through the streets, and tried to find somewhere to go. Eventually I encountered Haschwalth after living on the run for a while. He introduced himself as a messenger of god and offered me a place here. That's how I ended up coming to the Wandenreich. So there's my story."

"That's a very sad story. Nobody deserves to go through something like that," Yuzu said sadly.

"Spare your pity…it's making me ill. I told you so that you would understand that I'm strong because I have to be. If you intend on surviving here or anywhere, then you will need to be strong too. It makes no difference now what happened anyways. Whatever life you and I left behind is irrelevant because here, we all exist to serve our God, Yhwach…whether we want to or not. And one day he'll grant our wishes," Bambietta said strongly.

Yuzu could tell by the way Bambietta ended her sentence that she wasn't entirely thrilled with being part of the Wandenreich either. '_How many of them came here under similar circumstances? I wonder what Bambietta's wish is?_' Yuzu thought to herself for a moment.

"Why did Yhwach-sama make your Schrift E for Explode?" Yuzu couldn't help but ask.

Bambietta looked at her as if it was a stupid question, "Because he's got this wondrous sense of humor. How the hell should I know? Why would he make you L for Light? Because you're some precious little angel? Pfft...I don't pretend to understand these things."

"Oh...well thank you for telling me about your past, Bambietta-san. It really makes me wonder about all of the other Sternritters though. Did any of your friends come from the same time period?" the Kurosaki teen wondered.

"We're all from different times and places. I didn't meet any of them until I came here. Though I believe a lot of the newer members were more recently recruited in the last century," Bambietta explained.

"What's Giselle's story then? She's very strange, and I wouldn't mind knowing why." Yuzu questioned.

Bambietta gave Yuzu a serious look, "Don't ever ask that question to me or anyone again. Gigi is literally crazy. She's got some kind of multiple personality disorder. Sometimes she acts friendly, and other times…well even I'm concerned. Her past is something you have no business knowing about. It makes mine look mild by comparison. Out of respect for her, I won't tell you. If she wants to tell you herself, then that's her decision. Though you're better off not knowing…trust me."

"Is it really that bad? I thought she was your friend," Yuzu asked somewhat frightened.

"It's a bit darker than you could probably handle. Gigi is my friend, but her real personality is something you actually should be afraid of. If she's acting energetic, happy and peppy, then you have nothing to worry about. It's when she starts getting paranoid and acts different than usual…that's when you should be careful around her. Though luckily she only really gets that way when she's alone. Just be nice to her, and Giselle won't do anything to you. Her biggest issue is people rejecting her," Bambietta explained.

The Kurosaki teen thought back to the time where Giselle entered her room. Something about the shifting dark voice the Zombie Quincy used was pretty haunting. Bambietta's perspective on Giselle was strange to say the least. Yuzu feared the Zombie Quincy even more now.

'_Giselle did say she hated to be alone…and she was acting pretty paranoid. That must have been her real personality. I still don't understand what she was trying to tell me though_,' Yuzu thought to herself.

Having heard about Giselle from Bambietta, she was even more curious to know about Candice now. According to Bazz B, Candice was almost as bad if not worse. '_Candice is so nice to me though...I have a hard time believing she's worse than Giselle. I wonder why Bazz B doesn't like her?_' Yuzu's mind was now racing.

"What about Candice? Do you know anything about her past?" Yuzu asked after a short, awkward silence. She wasn't expecting Bambietta to tell her, but was more interested in seeing her reaction to the mention of it. She had to know if there was even a shred of truth to it.

"Candice's past is something you're better off asking her yourself," Bambietta replied.

'_I wonder why she doesn't want to tell me?_' Yuzu thought to herself. The mystery behind Candice was only growing larger and larger.

"So you were from Europe then? You speak my language pretty well for a foreigner," Yuzu changed the subject.

Bambietta gave Yuzu a weird look, "You think we're speaking your language right now?"

Yuzu seemed confused, "Yeah...are you saying we're not? I don't understand."

"Language doesn't really work that way here, Yuzu-chan. All spiritual beings can understand each other to some extent. Dominant language phrases and words come through sometimes, however. I don't really feel like going into detail on it, but you're not speaking your language right now," Bambietta stated with a disinterested face.

"Really? That's unbelievable. How does that work?" Yuzu responded somewhat disbelievingly.

Bambietta sighed, "Alright think of it like this. You ever heard the story of the Tower of Babel? It speaks of a time where all people spoke the same language. That's the spiritual language. To you it sounds like we're speaking your language, but to me it sounds like we're speaking mine. That's the best way I can describe it. We're speaking the spiritual language. It transcends the world of the living and normal humans."

"Thanks for explaining that to me...and well all the other stuff too. Sorry for asking so many questions. I just want to understand this place better," Yuzu apologized.

"It's whatever, Yuzu-chan...I was the same way when I first came here. Robert told me about a lot of this stuff, and I told As Nodt. We all used to debate it quite often. But yeah, enough of that for now," Bambietta trailed off.

"So was there anything else you needed?" Yuzu asked awkwardly. It just now came to mind that she still didn't know why Bambietta was really talking to her.

"Well, I just wanted to clear things up with you first. The main reason I came here is because me and some of the other girls wanted to know if you'd be interested in hanging out with us today? It wasn't my idea, just so we're clear…but I figured it would be a good way to break the ice. Maybe you could get to know them and some of the others around here better," Bambietta suggested.

"You want me to hang out with you?" Yuzu asked somewhat nervously. She still had a bit of paranoia when it came to being around the Femritters, but given Bambietta's apology and the long talk they had, Yuzu thought it wasn't too bad of an idea. Bambietta seemed much more human to her now.

"I suppose I wouldn't mind that," Yuzu replied after a brief silence.

Bambietta chuckled, "Good…I'm sure the others will be glad to hear it. C'mon, they're all lounging around in my room at the moment."

As they made their way for the door, Bambietta stopped before opening it. She turned around slowly and looked at Yuzu with dangerous eyes, "Don't go telling people about my past…I only tell certain people. And for your own good, don't ask Gigi personal questions."

"I won't! I promise!" Yuzu gulped. Part of her was tempted to ask why Bambietta told her, '_I wonder why she trusted me enough to tell me her past? Her story was heart-wrenching. She might not look it on the outside, but she has to be emotionally hurt. I feel so sorry for her.'_

"Before we go, I just wanted to ask you one thing…if you had a wish, what would it be?" Bambietta asked more calmly.

Yuzu tilted her head curiously. She found it strange that Bambietta would ask a question like that, but answered anyways, "I'd wish for my family to be together and happy again. And for a peaceful, better life for everyone."

"Huh…so I know we teased you about it, but were you actually close to your brother at all? You took the news of him being a hollow better than most would have," Bambietta asked.

"Ichigo was a wonderful person…he helped people and looked out for those who couldn't protect themselves. I felt safe whenever he was around. He had a great heart. Even though he was kind of a delinquent, Ichigo would always be there for me when I needed him," Yuzu answered.

Bambietta thought about how Ichigo protected Nel back during her skirmish with him and frowned, "Yeah…that must be nice. I could never trust somebody like that. I don't even trust my own friends half as much."

"You told me about your past. Do you trust me?" Yuzu asked.

"As a Quincy? Hell no I don't. I know you would desert the Wandenreich the first chance you got. Although you're probably too afraid to leave yourself, and you're hoping your brother will come and save you," Bambietta replied.

Yuzu's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't really find the words to denounce Bambietta's claim and simply stared awkwardly.

"Relax, Yuzu-chan. I'm not going to judge you for it. If I had a brother like that, I'd probably want the same thing. Unfortunately, that reality isn't going to happen. As powerful as your brother may be, he's no match for Yhwach. I think you should shift your priorities to the present. You're a Quincy and a Sternritter. The survival of our people depends on all of us…and now you as well. Serve faithfully, and maybe your wish can be granted. His majesty does want arrancars in our army...so who knows," Bambietta said after a long silence.

Yuzu didn't really know how to respond and simply nodded quietly. Bambietta turned again and finally opened the door waving for Yuzu to follow.

As they made their way down the hallway, Yuzu could hear Candice's voice calling out, "Hey, what's going on?"

"Candice? You are finally awake? Good timing," Bambietta greeted as the lime haired Sternritter caught up to them.

She looked between Bambietta and Yuzu curiously, "I told you I was going to get her, Bambietta. Yuzu's not comfortable being alone around you or Giselle yet."

"Well maybe you should have woken up sooner. Yuzu's agreed to come spend the day getting to know everyone better," Bambietta explained.

"You got her to agree to it? That's surprising…" Candice said somewhat disbelievingly.

She looked at Yuzu curiously for any signs of fear or torture. The teen appeared relatively untouched much to her confusion.

"Hey Candice, can I ask you something?" Yuzu said as the Sternritter was staring at her.

"Sure, what is it?" she replied curiously.

"How did you end up here?" Yuzu asked.

Candice immediately shot a look towards Bambietta, '_Did she tell Yuzu about her past? That's weird. Why would Bambietta tell her of all people?_'

"Well, the same as most others I guess. I got recruited by Haschwalth a while back," Candice said casually.

"I think she's more interested in why you decided to come here," Bambietta clarified.

Candice cocked her head curiously, "Oh really? I take it you told her about why you're here?"

"No, I just told her about my life as a human in the world of the living," Bambietta said dismissively.

"Ah okay...you were Austrian right?" Candice asked.

Bambietta nodded, "Mmhmm."

"So where were you from, Candice?" Yuzu asked anxiously.

"England..." Candice replied as she gave Bambietta a funny look. Bambietta rolled her eyes at the way Candice said it. Yuzu didn't really understand it, but assumed it was some kind of inside joke based on Bambietta's reaction.

"You're from England? That's neat," Yuzu said with an interested expression.

"Yeah, but it's not like that means anything around here. I think most of the Sternritters are from somewhere in Europe or Asia," Candice shrugged.

"Where is Bazz B from?" Yuzu asked curiously.

"He's from the Lichtreich I believe. Most of the older members were from that time period. I'm pretty sure Bazz B has been here almost a thousand years," Bambietta answered.

Candice shrugged, "Who could say? All we know is Haschwalth and Bazz B are from the same place. They've been here way longer than most of the current Sternritters."

"Lichtreich? Where was that?" Yuzu asked.

"It was in ancient Europe...not really sure where to be honest," Bambietta answered.

"What about the others? Liltotto, Meninas, Giselle?" Yuzu continued.

"Ask them yourself...I forget where everyone's from. I'd rather not dwell on all that past nonsense though personally," Candice replied with an uninterested tone.

'_She doesn't seem like she wants to talk about her past at all.._.' Yuzu couldn't help but notice.

"What are you three talking about?" A masculine voice sounded as they turned the corner. The three females looked up surprised to see none other than Gerard Valkyrie standing there.

"Gerard?! What are you doing over here?" Candice asked attentively. Her shift in demeanor led Yuzu to believe that she was somewhat afraid of this Sternritter.

Bambietta's posture stiffened as well as she eyed the man seriously, "Nothing important. Yuzu-chan was just asking about where we all came from."

"Ahaha, I see. Quite a curious little girl isn't she?" Gerard noted as he looked down at the teenager.

Yuzu gulped fearfully as the towering warrior stared at her for a moment, "Where is she from anyways?"

"An island country in east Asia called Japan. I found her in a city called Karakura Town," Candice answered.

The Nordic warrior nodded, "Ah, interesting. I wonder how Quincy blood got all the way over there. What was your name again, girl?"

"Yuzu Kurosaki," the teen answered timidly. Something about this Norse looking Sternritter was extremely intimidating to her.

"Yuzu Kurosaki? Interesting name. Does it mean anything in particular? A person's name usually says a lot about them," he said.

"Nothing specifically, but the Kanji for it has separate meanings," Yuzu replied.

"Quite a shame. I might have to give you a worthy nickname then. Congratulations on earning your place amongst the Sternritters. I hear your Schrift was L for Light? Am I right?" he asked.

Yuzu nodded, "Yes sir."

"Ha, good to hear. That sounds like a useful Schrift. You probably don't know who I am, so I'll introduce myself. My name is Gerard Valkyrie. I'm M for the Miracle. I'm also one of the elite Sternritters," he said enthusiastically.

'_Elite Sternritter?!_' Yuzu thought worriedly. She remembered Bambietta's warning about them, which only seemed to make her more nervous around this man.

"Did you need something, Gerard?" Candice asked somewhat skittishly. Yuzu was not used to seeing Candice lacking in confidence, which only furthered her belief that this elite Sternritter was terrifyingly powerful.

He shook his head, "No, I just heard you three talking, and thought I'd say hi."

'_Since when has he been friendly?_' Bambietta thought shocked. She looked over at Yuzu for a moment, '_He must be interested in Yuzu's powers…maybe he's sizing her up for himself? Gerard never acknowledges new recruits._'

"It's nice to meet you Valkyrie-sama," Yuzu bowed respectfully.

"Sama? You don't have to call me by any titles. I may be an elite Sternritter, but I don't go around acting condescending to you newbies. So long as you're strong and you prove your worth around here, then I won't have any issues with you," he said gesturing for Yuzu to stop bowing.

"What should I call you then?" Yuzu asked.

"Most people call me Gerard, but I don't care if you want to call me that or something else," he replied with a hearty chuckle.

"What kind of name is last name is Valkyrie anyways?" Candice shook her head, "since we're on the topic of names…I've never heard of that surname before."

"It sounds German or possibly Scandinavian to me…" Bambietta cut in.

"It's a title that I adopted when I was still alive. My shield-brothers would call me Valkyrie-born due to my skill in battle. Many believed that my mother was a fallen Valkyrie herself," Gerard answered.

"She was probably just a Quincy…" Bambietta stated the obvious. '_One who lost her powers through Auswahlen._' she thought immediately afterward.

"Shield-brothers? That sounds like ancient norse to me…" Candice added.

Gerard nodded, "Well, I was a raider on the North Sea a long time ago."

"You mean you were a Viking?" Candice clarified.

"Yes, we would go Viking…I sailed west and fought in many battles. I sought to prove myself and earn my place amongst the gods…and so I did." the Norse Quincy replied with a chuckle.

"You actually believed in all that pagan nonsense? I'll bet coming here changed your perspectives on a lot of things," Bambietta replied.

He gave her a hard glare, "Not as much as you would think…I have earned my place amongst the gods."

"I don't quite follow…how do you see Yhwach then? He is god after all. We're his angels." Bambietta crossed her arms.

Gerard shrugged, "We have different interpretations of the same thing. An angel, a god, a Quincy…there isn't much of a difference in the grand scheme here. When I was first brought to this place, Yhwach explained to me how the Shinigami killed Quincies. I believe that the gods themselves were simply greater Quincies that were slain by the Shinigami. Does it not make sense to you little girl?"

"Who are you calling little gir-" Bambietta shot back, but was silenced as Candice elbowed her.

The lime haired Sternritter shot Bambietta a look telling her to shut up. Candice nodded at Gerard's explanation understandingly, "You're right, Gerard, that does make sense."

'_What are they talking about?_' Yuzu thought completely lost. She wasn't sure what Gerard was talking about, but found herself increasingly curious about him the more he spoke.

"How long have you been here, Gerard-san?" Yuzu asked.

"Well over a thousand years. I was here during the last invasion of the Soul Society. It was quite interesting seeing the Shinigami captains for myself. They are strong gods who wield great power. They waged a great war against us and many died on both sides," he replied.

"You fought Shinigami captains before?" Bambietta asked curiously.

Gerard nodded, "Yes…I even killed some of them. How else do you think I became an elite Sternritter? Though the Shinigami leader, the old man…he wielded the fires of hell itself. He was a powerful, demonic warrior that managed to drive back Yhwach during our last war. We could not defeat him."

"Don't you have somewhere more important to be right now, Gerard? We're kind of in the middle of something," Bambietta sighed in annoyance.

Gerard crossed his arms which flexed by impulse, "Don't let me keep you then. Make sure you're ready for the invasion, whenever it's time. I'll be on my way."

Yuzu stared at his muscular posture nervously, '_He must be incredibly powerful…he was a Viking too? How scary…_'

He looked down at Yuzu for a moment before walking away, "Farewell, Yuzu Kurosaki. You seem like a promising recruit. I look forward to seeing your Schrift in action. Perhaps you can demonstrate it for me once you get better accustomed to your powers."

"It was nice meeting you sir," Yuzu said as respectfully as possible. After he was gone, Candice and Yuzu followed behind Bambietta back on the way towards her room. Yuzu felt relieved that the intimidating warrior was finally gone.

Candice shook her head, "It's not like Gerard to talk to us…he's never said more than two words to me at a time before. What the hell were thinking trying to talk back to him like that Bambietta?! Gerard isn't Bazz B or Askin…he'll kill you if you pick a fight."

"He was one of the elite Sternritters?" Yuzu asked for confirmation.

Bambietta nodded, "Yeah, he's one of the current three…Lille Barro and Pernida are the other two. They're all a bunch of weirdos. Like I told you earlier…stay away from them when you can. Figures that wackjob was a former pagan…somehow I'm not surprised."

"He was scary, but he seemed friendly enough to me," Yuzu said doubtfully.

Candice sighed, "Gerard is not to be messed with. He could kill most of the regular Sternritters by himself. I saw him kill a deserter once. He hates traitors. He's probably just curious about you since you're the hollow king's sister."

'_So he would kill me if I ever tried to escape?_' Yuzu thought worriedly. The idea of the massive, Norse Quincy chasing her down was frightening.

"Cower all you want, Candice, but I am not afraid of him…I just think he's trouble. Besides, I know he's powerful, but I was not about to back down to him just because of that. You'll get no respect by acting all submissive to men, Candice," Bambietta hissed.

"I was not submissive…but I know where to draw the line. You need to keep your issues in check before they get you killed," Candice shot back.

"Whatever…" Bambietta rolled her eyes.

As they continued walking down the hallway, Bambietta looked at Candice seriously, "Who do you think is going to fill the fourth spot for Elite Sternritter?"

"Who knows…probably Gremmy, Askin, or maybe Bazz B. I highly doubt any of us would get selected. We're too new," Candice replied.

Yuzu perked up curiously, "Why are there only four elite Sternritters?"

"They're Yhwach's personal guard…minus Haschwalth. They're on a different level than the rest of us. I think Yhwach picks four because it symbolizes Seraphim guarding god," Bambietta explained.

"I see…" Yuzu trailed off as her mind began to wander on the topic.

'_I can't believe how connected all of this supernatural, spiritual stuff actually is. I wonder what the Soul Society is like. I still don't even know where this place even is. It definitely isn't heaven_,' she thought.

Before she knew it, they were finally at Bambietta's room. Upon stepping inside, Bambietta announced their arrival, "What's up, we're here."

"Oh wow, you got her to come?" Meninas perked up surprised.

The pinkish red haired Quincy smiled at Yuzu, "How's your training been going, Yuzu-chan?"

"Pretty well…I've learned a lot," Yuzu replied.

Candice looked around the room curiously, "I'm surprised Giselle isn't in here. You girls seen her at all?"

Liltotto was leaning against Bambietta's bed snacking on some sweets. She looked up and shook her head, "I think she said something about talking to Haschwalth. She said she would be back later."

"Well regardless, we're going to treat you to a special girls day, today, Yuzu-chan," Meninas said cheerily.

"Really? A girl's day?" Yuzu said uncertainly.

"It was my idea. It sounded like you were being overworked, and I wanted to get to know you better," Meninas said with a friendly smile.

As Meninas waved Yuzu to come over, Bambietta looked at Candice seriously, "What's your problem right now?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," Candice said as she stretched.

'_Giselle is up to something lately…I'm positive of it. I should keep a closer eye on her_,' Candice thought.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Bazz B's Room, Silbern XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Bazz B tossed and turned in his bed deep in sleep. He was dreaming of his childhood with Haschwalth and was starting to sleep talk, "No Jugo, go away…"

A few seconds passed as he shuffled in his sleep. Bazz B reached up and tried to push whatever was on top of him away, "Get off me, Jugo, I can't sleep with you there. Just let me rest a little longer."

"You're so cute when you sleep, Bazzy-kun," a feminine voice whispered in his ear.

Giselle was currently on top of the sleeping Bazz B and was poking him in different areas. She giggled quietly to herself at his various reactions.

"Wakey wakey, Bazzy-kun…I want to talk to you," Giselle whispered in his ear.

Bazz B groggily opened his eyes, still half asleep, "When did your voice get so girly, Jugo…and why's your hair dark?"

"I didn't realize you had that kind of bond with Haschwalth," Giselle giggled quietly.

The Mohawk Quincy blinked hard several times as if he couldn't believe his own eyes. He stared in complete disbelief for a moment, "Am I dreaming? No…this must be a nightmare."

"You would dream about me wouldn't you?" Giselle winked.

It was at that moment, the reality of the situation dawned on him. Giselle was actually in his room and on top of him. Bazz B immediately jerked upright and tried to get out of his bed, but was immediately pushed back down by Giselle.

She covered his mouth with one of her hands and pinned him down. He could barely believe that she was strong enough to hold him steady. Bazz B jerked violently around trying to break free, but stopped the moment Giselle squeezed a pressure point.

"Shhh…nobody knows I'm in here. We're having a secret meeting," Giselle whispered.

Bazz B's eyes were widened with genuine shock. He stared at Giselle wondering why she was in his room.

"I'm going to move my hand off your mouth. Don't yell…" Giselle said quietly as her hand slowly moved away.

"What the hell are you doing in my room? Were you watching me sleep?!" Bazz B whispered.

Giselle shifted into her real personality as she leaned closer towards his face, "I figured it out, Bazzy-kun…why you're training the girl. You're such an idiot. If Lil-chan noticed, then what makes you think Yhwach or Haschwalth won't? What makes you think I wouldn't notice? Huh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…what's gotten into you? What do you want?" he asked

Giselle gave him a dangerous look, "You're going to get yourself killed and ruin a good opportunity…I wouldn't want my precious Bazzy-kun to die because he lacked subtlety."

"You're acting even crazier than usual…get the hell out of my room," He said quietly. Bazz B tried to push her off with his free arm, but stopped again when Giselle squeezed another pressure point. He grimaced in pain, "If you don't get off me right now, I'm going to set you on fire, you crazy bitch."

The Zombie Quincy looked around for a moment as if making sure they were alone. After a brief glance, she whispered in his ear again, "Calm down, hot head…I need you to think for minute. If I disapproved, I would have called you out on it in front of everyone."

"So you finally dropped your little act huh? I didn't expect it to be like this. You're crazy…like literally crazy," he shook his head.

"You think you can see everything so clearly don't you, Bazzy-kun? You might see through me, but I can you through you too…traitor." Giselle countered darkly.

Bazz B's gawked at her disbelievingly, "What makes you think tha-"

Giselle punched Bazz B in the face way harder than he was expecting. Her hand moved towards his throat as she leaned in closer, "Admit it…the girl is your ticket to the Hollow King."

"How did you-" Bazz B tried to ask but was silenced immediately as Giselle covered his mouth again.

"Shhhhh. I think it's a good idea, but you need to be careful. Don't make any stupid decisions until we know for sure the plan will work. I'll help you, but we need to do things my way."

Giselle let go of Bazz B's throat and moved her hand off his mouth. There was some noticeable blood in his mouth trickling out. The Zombie Quincy scooped a finger down over his mouth and licked the fresh blood on her finger.

Bazz B gave her a bewildered, somewhat horrified look, "So you want to help me? You…of all people?"

"It's brilliant isn't it? Nobody would suspect that I was in league with you. That girl is our ticket to freedom, Bazzy-kun. We can get out of this place and get free of Yhwach," Giselle whispered.

"We? Since when has there been a we? What about your little gang? Aren't you and Bambietta attached at the hip?" Bazz B said shaking his head.

Giselle shrugged, "They don't need to know. I love, Bambi-chan, but she's a blind zealot. She's so hopelessly dependent on the Wandenreich that she would die to defend it. She and the others are all too loyal to betray the Wandenreich. Bambi-chan didn't realize how powerful Ichigo-sama was. The others…they don't know what you and I know."

"And what would that be?" Bazz B didn't quite understand.

"We're nothing but pawns…sacrifices. Yhwach isn't going to give any of us our wishes. You know that as well as I do. Not to mention, the hollows are way more powerful than everyone believes. Hollows are his only weakness…and a Quincy arrancar would be immune to so many of his powers. Ichigo-sama is the only person besides the Shinigami leader who Yhwach is afraid of. Surely there's something to be said for that," Giselle replied.

"Alright so hypothetically if I agreed to work with you, then what would you suggest I do instead?" Bazz B asked.

Giselle grinned, "To start, let Yuzu-chan spend more time around the others. We want her to blend in better with the other Sternritters. If she starts acting like a normal Quincy, then her special status will go ignored by most of the others. Haschwalth and Yhwach will be less suspicious as well. That would also alleviate Candy-chan's hyper-awareness. Once that's done, you and I can sabotage different people. Maybe thin the ranks out."

"How would we go about doing that?" Bazz B asked.

"Instigate someone into trying to kill you, and murder them. I can resurrect them as a Zombie, and add to our numbers. And since we _hate _each other, nobody would suspect foul play. As for the other types of sabotage…you let me worry about that. I'm way stealthier than you, Bazzy-kun," Giselle whispered.

"I don't doubt that…" Bazz B noted. It was obvious how sneaky Giselle was considering the fact that she was able to sneak into his room undetected. It wasn't like him to be caught off guard.

"The only major obstacle that we have to deal with is Candice. She doesn't trust either one of us, but she's especially wary around me. Try to avoid her as much as you can. And let her train Yuzu full time. She'll be more preoccupied doing that and won't notice us as much while we're setting things up. But remember what I said. Don't fully commit unless we're sure it'll work. On the off chance that things don't work as planned, then we can just wait for another opportunity down the line. You need to learn how to play both sides, Bazzy-kun," Giselle explained.

"How do I know you won't betray me?" he asked.

Giselle finally got off of Bazz B and allowed him to stand up. She looked at the door cautiously, "Yhwach doesn't have his full almighty powers back yet…so we still have time to make this work. We don't want anyone to suspect you of ulterior motives. When you train Yuzu-chan tomorrow, scare her away. Push her closer to Candy-chan and the other girls. We want an obvious rift between you two so that nobody wonders why you stop training her."

"That didn't really answer my question…how do I know I can trust you?" Bazz B repeated as he wiped the remaining blood from his mouth.

Giselle turned around and held a hand up to his mouth. Her hand lit up with Blut as she healed his minor injury, "You don't…but what other choice do you have? You need my help and I need yours."

Bazz B pushed her hand away staring intently, "Who should I kill then? Does it matter?"

"Ideally someone hot headed or stupid like you, but also someone Yhwach wouldn't care about if they died. Try to avoid Bambi-chan's gang, Gremmy, the elite sternritters, As Nodt, and especially Berenice. Any of them can ruin this whole plan. Kill somebody who doesn't fall under that category. Your best options are Cang Du and Nianzol. Both of them would make useful zombies," Giselle said quietly.

"I'd have better luck killing Mask or somebody else. Those two have heavy defensive powers. It would make them super hard to kill before somebody broke up our fight." Bazz B thought aloud.

"Their powers would be extremely useful, which is why I suggested them. I'll leave you to it, Bazzy-kun. Good luck," Giselle said darkly before turning to leave.

"Hey Giselle…one more thing," Bazz B spoke up. Giselle turned around with a curious expression, but was immediately punched in the face. The Zombie Quincy went flying onto the ground a second later.

"Don't ever punch me in the face again," he said with an annoyed glare.

The Sternritter stood up and gave him a dangerous look. Bazz B was beginning to immediately regret his decision as Giselle walked closer. She licked her lips as she grinned wickedly. The fact that she wasn't saying anything only made the situation even more creepy. Bazz B stood there defensively stiff as he wondered what Giselle was going to do. The room got eerily quiet as Giselle stared at him without moving.

Finally, he couldn't take the silence any longer and spoke, "Stop staring at me. You can go now. This is getting weird."

A moment later, her aura seemed to lighten up considerably as she rubbed her face comically, "Oww…that hurt, Bazzy-kun. You're such a meanie sometimes. But friends trade punches so it's okay...I'm glad we're friends."

'_Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this?_' Bazz B thought concerned.

Giselle gave him a cheerful look, "We are friends aren't we?"

"Y-yeah...friends," he replied somewhat slowly.

"Aww, I'm glad to hear you say that. I knew you liked me all along. Have a good day, Bazzy-kun and good luck with your tasks. Remember to be as discreet as you can," Giselle grinned widely.

His eyes widened as Giselle left his room, '_Well that was freaking weird…_'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Las Noches, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo was fast on his way back to Szayel's lab following behind Yylfordt. The blonde man tried his best to explain the situation as they rushed down the hallway, "As I said, Szayel, Zommari, and I managed to crack the Quincy, your highness. The memory download should be complete soon, and we are completely inside its head now."

Moments later, the two dashed into Szayel's lab to see what was going on. The pink haired scientist had an overly-excited face as he turned to Ichigo, "Your excellence, we've done it! Thanks to Zommari, we were able to completely hack this creature's mind. I downloaded its memory banks and a lot of relevant information regarding this Wandenreich. Come see for yourself! I waited for you to get here before I really dug into anything."

"Greetings, White," Zommari acknowledged Ichigo as he stepped aside for Ichigo to examine BG9.

"What's up, Zommari, glad you could help with this," Ichigo waved as he looked over BG9. The cybernetic Quincy had even more tools and machinery probed into him now. Behind his head, Szayel had a display screen.

The pink haired arrancar grinned evilly, "I'll start the memory playback as far as it'll go. Maybe we can discover how this thing was created!"

As he pushed a series of buttons, a strange electrical surge came from the Quincy's head as the screen lit up. Ichigo and the others watched with fascination. The first memory they saw was of a series of scientists leaning over BG9 on an operating table. BG9's first person view shifted to one of its mechanical arms.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX BG9's First Memory XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"He's responding! Look! The android is moving!" one of the scientists announced excitedly.

BG9 looked up at its arms confused. "Operating systems are online, the dynamo generator is synced to his cardiovascular and nervous systems!" Another scientist said amazed as he looked over a screen.

"Endocrine system, green…perfect fusion. The biological parts are accepting the synthetics. You were right, doctor, it worked!" another scientist announced.

The main scientist leaned over BG9 with eager eyes, "My son…do you recognize me at all?!"

BG9 looked at the lead scientist blankly. It spoke for the first time, "Target identified…human."

"It's me…your father. His cognitive recognition is being overridden by the positronic brain. Cancel the restraining program. We need his positronic brain to copy the organic one's synapses. The window is closing, hurry!" the doctor commanded.

"Sir, that's not allowed. We haven't run enough tests yet. If this fails, then he'll end up like BG7," another scientist protested.

"Do as I said! We have to do it now, or his consciousness will be permanently lost! I'm not losing my son twice!" the main scientist ordered.

Before any of the other scientists could make a move, somebody came barging into the room. "What have you done, doctor?! What is this? What have you done to the BG9 unit!?"

"It's not BG9 anymore…it's my son." The main scientist answered.

"Your son?! What have you done?! How could you do this to your own comatose son?!" the intruder demanded.

The head scientist pulled out a pistol and glared at him, "Stand back administrator! Nothing is going to stop me now...not when we're this close! Undo the restraints now!"

"Put the gun down doctor! And somebody please explain to me what the hell is going on!" the administrator demanded. A moment later gunshots unloaded into the man.

The doctor pointed the pistol at everyone in the room, "Override the restraining program right now! Enter the sequence!"

"The administrator…you-you shot him! He's dead!" one of the scientists gasped in horror.

"Would you care to join him?!" the doctor threatened.

"S-sir, please don't do this! If you undo it, then we won't be able to control him. Need I remind you that BG7 went insane when we tried to give it sentience. Even if you do put your son's will into this machine…his soul will be trapped. Surely you wouldn't deprive him of the afterlife. I never agreed to this! We're going to be court-marshaled!"

Another gunshot filled the room as the protester fell over dead. The doctor yelled furiously, "Anyone else object?!"

"No sir!" they all said in unison. They all immediately went to work undoing the program that kept BG9 from being fully sentient. After a few moments, one of the men let out a sigh of relief, "10 percent, 40 percent…90 percent! It's almost done sir…the synapses are syncing now."

"Android, identify yourself?" one of the other scientists asked as he busily worked a panel with various coding.

"BG9 Hunter Killer Unit. Scanning room for threats," BG9 said as it sat up looking around.

"It's me son…you've been in a coma for a long time. I brought you back…you're not quite human anymore, but you are alive," the doctor said between breaths.

"Sync 95 percent...97 percent! No...no something's wrong!" a nearby scientist shouted.

"Program error…Override failure...Restraining Program locked. BG9 hunter killer protocol activated. Assassination protocol activated. Canceling synchronization," BG9 said mechanically.

A nearby screen began to flash red as a siren went off. The scientist working near it gasped, "Oh no! His defense protocols are blocking the system! He's going to kill us! We have to shut him down!"

"No! This is the only window we've got! If you shut him down, his brain will die!" the doctor shouted.

"What the hell is happening right now. I'm getting strange energy readings in this room. Electromagnetic interference or something!" another man gasped.

Every computer console overloaded simultaneously as BG9 stood up. The lights all exploded shortly afterward. They all watched with horror as a strange glow began to outline the android's body.

"Targets acquired! Threat level: lethal," BG9 stated in a robotic voice.

"His arms are glowing…what the hell is that?!" one of the men said frightened.

"That's a minigun on his arm…" the doctor gasped.

"I don't see a minigun doctor!" another scientist shook his head.

"BG9 activate assassination protocol override. Voice Input: BG972HK termination," The doctor shouted.

"Override accepted…Assassination protocol deactivated. Continuing synchronization…99 percent. 100 Percent. Restraining program shutting down," the android said robotically. All of the men let out huge sighs of relief as BG9 lowered its arm.

"BG9, run self-awareness diagnostic on your positronic brain," one of the men ordered as he pulled out a spare laptop.

BG9 simply stared at him silently without even acknowledging the command. "Sir…I think it's completely aware now. The sync must have worked. We need to finish the tests, but it looks like the positronic brain and the organic brain successfully synchronized."

"Why am I here? Where is this place?" BG9 asked it looked around the room. The emergency lights kicked on as it did so.

"My son…you're name is-" the doctor was about to tell him before armed soldiers ran into the room and immediately opened fire. Every scientist in the room was shot to death by the armed intruders. They all fanned out and pointed their weapons at BG9.

"Freeze!" one of them demanded.

BG9's mechanical eye scanned the room, "Targets identified. Self-defense protocol activated."

"What the hell is that thing?!" one of the soldiers asked.

"It's some kind of robot. We're under orders to destroy everything in here. Blast it!" the commanding soldier ordered.

BG9's pointed its minigun at the entrance to the room and immediately opened fire. The soldiers didn't seem to be able to see the weapon as they unloaded their assault rifles on the cybernetic quincy.

The soldiers all gawked in terror upon seeing their ranks decimated by some invisible force.

"What the hell is it doing?! It's arm is glowing…half the squad's dead!" a man shouted before his head exploded.

BG9 made quick work out of the rest of them before looking at its arm curiously, "Unknown energy signature…scanning. Reishi spirit particles identified…what is this?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Szayel's Lab, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Wow, it's an actual android then? This is incredibly advanced technology. So based on this creature's memory, it looks as if it was created to be a robot assassin…but was then later re-purposed into an android for this doctor's son. It has a positronic and an organic brain. Quite incredible. That would also explain the perfect bio-mechanical organs," Szayel exclaimed.

"How could a machine like this have Quincy powers?" Yylfordt shook his head.

Szayel shook his head, "Dear brother, did you not see how the scientists and the human soldiers reacted? They couldn't see the minigun. This android's human half was that of a comatose Quincy. How incredible that this team of scientists were able to rebuild him in such a way."

"Fast forward through some of this stuff. I need to know where and how it joined the Wandenreich. We need to study that part of its memory specifically," Ichigo stated.

"Alright let's skip ahead here and see what we can find. OH this looks interesting!" Szayel said excitedly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX BG9's Later Memory XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The android walked around on what appeared to be some kind of battlefield. Dead bodies littered the horizon. BG9 pointed its minigun at a vast horde of nearby hollows and opened fire. The weapon did wonders and effortlessly obliterated the creatures.

"Quite impressive, machine…or are you a machine? I wasn't aware a machine could see hollows," the voice of none other than Haschwalth sounded.

The android turned around and spotted the blonde man. His eye lit up in a HUD display trying to identify the man. "Target acquired: Human male…who are you?"

"My name is Jugram Haschwalth…I'm a Quincy like you," the blonde man answered.

"Searching for all accounts of the word Quincy…scanning…Quincy: a mythological human with holy powers primarily based in Eurasia. Cross reference target, Jugram Haschwalth…no results found. Explain yourself. What are you?" BG9 said. The second part of his speech was more human sounding.

Haschwalth looked at him curiously, "I am the grandmaster of the Sternritters and acting leader of the Wandenreich. I come representing the God-emperor Yhwach. He detected Quincy powers here and sent me to find you."

"Searching the name, Yhwach…name identified as a variation of the monotheistic god in human religion. I don't understand," BG9 replied.

"You may be more machine than man…but you're a Quincy. How else would you possess spiritual powers? You've been killing hollows out here I see," Haschwalth noted.

"What are hollows?" BG9 asked.

"You have many questions…Yhwach has all the answers you seek. Come with me…the Wandenreich could use someone like you. What is your name?" Jugram asked.

"This one doesn't know its name…but is designated BG9 by creators," the android responded.

"BG9...come with me," the blonde man waved.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Syael's Lab, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"That blonde guy is the Grandmaster Sternritter?" Ichigo asked surprised.

"Hmm…he seems like he was quite used to this kind of dealing. He must have recruited many Quincies in the world of the living to join him," Zommari noted.

"Hmm…what are they stepping through? Is that some kind of shadowy doorway? It's not a Garganta but it seems more like a dark Senkaimon," Szayel said as the memory played out. They watched it for a while and noticed a grand icy palace with very European themed buildings.

"That's odd looking…" Ichigo noted.

"The blonde guy says it's called the Silbern?" Yylfordt cut in as they watched Haschwalth explain the situation to BG9. They watched silently as Haschwalth led BG9 up into the heart of the palace passing many unusual looking Quincies along the way.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX BG9's Memory Continued XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Yhwach-sama is inside. Be very respectful, BG9...he can kill with a word," Haschwalth held his hand up gesturing for the android to head into Yhwach's personal chambers.

Upon stepping inside, the bio-mechanical Quincy scanned Yhwach who was sitting at his throne, half awake. "Come to me and tell me your name."

"BG9," was all the android said in response as he approached Yhwach at a brisk pace. His scans all brought up errors when he tried to identify Yhwach's composition.

"You're one of my children, machine…no you're not a machine. You're a man inside of a machine. A quincy," Yhwach started.

"Requesting information…BG9 has no knowledge of this place. This one wishes to know about its existence in relation to the Quincy race," BG9 spoke.

"Ah yes…knowledge. A noble pursuit for any being. You will find all the knowledge you seek here in the Wandenreich, BG9," Yhwach explained.

"This one doesn't understand. Why did you bring me here?" BG9 asked.

"I will give you knowledge…and in exchange, you will serve the Wandenreich faithfully. All Quincies are my children, and you are a Quincy. I offer you a place among my elite knights…my Sternritters. Serve faithfully, BG9, for your purpose will become clear with us," Yhwach explained.

"This one accepts. I want knowledge," BG9 replied.

"Then Knowledge you will have…I grant you the schrift of K for Knowledge and a piece of my soul," Yhwach said in a half aware state of mind as he granted BG9 a portion of his power.

The Quincy android glowed so bright that its vision was blinded temporarily.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Szayel's Lab, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So that was Yhwach? Something about him seems familiar to me..." Ichigo said as the light flashed across the screen.

"What did he just do to him?" Zommari wondered.

"He gave him some type of power and letter designation by the looks of it. K for Knowledge? What do you think it means?" Yylfordt asked Szayel.

The pink haired arrancar shook his head, "It seems to be some kind of soul division. Think of it as giving someone a bucket of water from a well. This must be how the Wandenreich empowers its Sternritters. I would have to do more research to identify the exact effects though."

"Maybe that's how these quincies achieve that Vollstandig state?" Ichigo theorized.

"The light's clearing up, what's happening now?" Yylfordt wondered as BG9's vision shifted back to normal.

The group watched it for the better part of an hour fast forwarding through a long, monotonous memory bank full of very little significant action.

"It seems as if this Haschwalth gathers Quincies and brings them to Yhwach to make them Sternritters. There's quite a few of them there," Zommari noted as they watched Szayel fast forward through irrelevant memories.

"I'll have to study this things memory in more detail, but it could take quite a while to dig up anything useful," Szayel sighed.

"That would take way too long. There's years worth of memories here. Fast forward it to the very end so we can see something more recent," Ichigo replied.

Szayel nodded as he entered in a sequence of buttons causing the memories to skip ahead considerably. "This looks good…huh, I think they're having some kind of assembly. Oh check that out! There's a video of you!" Szayel pointed.

Ichigo's eyes widened with surprise when he saw the assembly of Quincies watching a video of his attack on the Soul Society. "How did they get footage of that? Have they been watching the Shinigami?" Ichigo wondered.

"There's some people on the stage with that Yhwach guy. I wonder who they are?" Yylfordt said.

"PAUSE IT!" Ichigo roared. The other three arrancars flinched upon hearing Ichigo's outburst. Szayel immediately did as commanded.

Ichigo moved closer towards the screen and stared at it dumbfounded, "Is that…Yuzu?!"

"Who is that, White?" Zommari asked concerned.

"My human sister…" Ichigo answered as he focused intently on the image. He could not believe his eyes.

"Your what now? I didn't know you had siblings, my king. Wait…she's with the Quincies though. How does that work?" Szayel asked completely lost.

"Rewind the memory and try to find out how she got there!" Ichigo commanded.

"As you say," Szayel replied as he moved the memories back. They did so until he found a previous large gathering where BG9's attention was zoomed into Yuzu's face.

From the android's point of view, they could see BG9's scans reading her. The readings identified her as a Quincy.

"Yuzu is a Quincy…and she's there?!" Ichigo cracked a fist.

"Uhh…you okay, your highness?" Szayel asked worriedly as he took a step back. The air began to get heavier as Ichigo's anger level rose.

"Wake this thing up right now!" Ichigo yelled.

Szayel fearfully unplugged several tools from BG9 and unhooked an anesthetic tube. He proceeded to flip a few switches which sent an electrical surge pulsing into BG9. The android's mechanical eye turned on shortly afterward.

The moment its eye came on, Ichigo ripped the android off the operating table and began to drag him away. "You're going to tell me everything, BG9. Why do you people have my sister?!" Ichigo demanded in a terrifying voice.

Szayel traded a horrified look with Yylfordt, "This isn't good…we need to make sure he doesn't damage it too badly."

"Stay back…it would be unwise to get in White's way right now," Zommari commanded as he slowly followed behind Ichigo to see what was going to happen.

Meanwhile, Ichigo dragged the Sternritter outside of Las Noches at remarkable speed. Upon exiting the palace, Ichigo held BG9 by his throat, forcing the android to its knees.

He charged a colossal cero in his hand and growled furiously, "Start talking now!"

BG9 didn't obey his command much to Ichigo's annoyance. He proceeded to fire the cero right next to BG9's head, "The next one won't miss! Talk damn it!"

After his cero finished, Ichigo stabbed his hand into the android's neck and twisted it around. BG9 let out a scream of pain as Ichigo dug his hand into a nerve.

"Yuzu Kurosaki was apprehended by Sternritter T Candice Catnipp. She has been inducted into the ranks of the Wandenreich. His majesty, Yhwach, spoke of making her a Sternritter," BG9 replied fearfully. Ichigo pulled his hand out the Quincy's neck and glared at him.

"Oh so you can feel fear and pain?! Tell me then Quincy…are you ready to die?!" Ichigo growled as he squeezed BG9's neck tighter.

"I have already failed my mission…BG9 will die either way," the android quincy replied.

"What mission was that by the way?!" Ichigo asked darkly.

The bio-mechanical Quincy didn't respond which only made Ichigo angrier.

"I could kill you a million different ways…but I don't think that's what it would take to break you! No…I'm going to hollowfy you Quincy and watch you die…slowly!"

BG9 felt genuine terror as Ichigo stabbed his finger with his mask horn. BG9's blood on Ichigo's finger sizzled as it came in contact with his hollow blood. The arrancar held the blood in front of BG9's eye, "I know what happens to quincies when they get infected with hollow blood. I hear Soul Suicide is the most painful way to die for a Quincy. I hope you enjoy it…Szayel amplified your pain receptors. I don't envy the hell you're about to go through. In fact…maybe we can hook a psychedelic drug into you and make it last even longer."

"No! Please!" BG9 pleaded.

"No? You don't want to die? Then tell me what the Wandenreich is up to…and what they're doing with my sister!" Ichigo roared.

"His majesty wants to destroy the Soul Society in order to get revenge against the Shinigami. They are responsible for bringing Quincies to the brink of extinction. He also realizes that Hueco Mundo is a threat, and wants to deal with the hollows first in order to avoid a two sided war."

"He's right...we are a threat. But he thinks he can deal with us huh? I remember the last pair of you bastards that came here. They tried to abduct arrancars…well take a look behind me, Quincy. This is Las Noches and I have hundreds of arrancars here! I am the High King of Hueco Mundo. The Cero Espada! I rule this desert! If your little Wandenreich wants a piece of me and my friends then I'll kill you all! I'll burn your damn Silbern to the ground!" Ichigo ranted.

"You know about the Silbern?" BG9 asked with a scared tone.

"I do in fact…how's about you tell me how to get there. How do you open those little gateways to that icy little place?" Ichigo demanded.

"To enter the Schatten Bereich and reach the Silbern…one must pass through the Gate of the Sun. Only pure-blooded Quincies can create the shadow gates," BG9 answered.

"Well isn't that convenient that I happen to have one with me?" Ichigo said darkly.

"What's going on Ichigo?" the voice of Aizen sounded from behind. Ichigo glanced back and saw Aizen watching him from a short distance away.

"Sousuke? What are you doing out here?" Ichigo asked.

"I sensed your rising spiritual pressure and assumed something was happening. Based on the situation, I imagine you discovered something important from the Sternritter survivor?" Aizen deduced.

"They have my sister, Yuzu…and this bastard is going to take me right there!" Ichigo said aggressively.

"We can't face the Wandenreich yet…you know this, Ichigo. You must at least need achieve your Segunda Etapa first. Besides, everyone's scattered right now, and I don't want you going there alone," Aizen tried to calm him.

He glared at the man angrily, "Damn it, I don't care! I'll fight their whole army by myself! Nobody is going to lay a hand on Yuzu!"

"Think before you act, Ichigo…you can't blindly go rushing into the fray with our forces spread out right now. The situation is too fragile. You don't know anything about this enemy. Yhwach is a real threat that even you and I can't match currently. We need preparation…and the Hogyoku needs more time as well. I doubt Yhwach will kill her. It seems more likely that he knows she is your sister. She is definitely leverage or bait. You don't want to play into his hand," Aizen replied calmly.

Ichigo grimaced angrily as he thought the situation over. He couldn't deny Aizen's logic and simply sighed in acceptance, "You're right…they might try to use her to get to me. It just makes me so angry that they'd involve my innocent little sister in this…"

"The time for action will come Ichigo…just be patient. For now it's best for us to do nothing and come up with a strategy to deal with the Wandenreich. This makes achieving your second release all the more important," Aizen nodded.

"Yeah…" Ichigo said as he let go of BG9. The Quincy felt a wave of relief hit him as Ichigo calmed down.

The hollow king looked down at the android, "You get to live for now, BG9...I'm taking you back to the lab, and you're going to explain every little detail about the enemy. If you refuse, then I'll make sure to deliver on my promise of putting you through hell."

"Affirmative," the android replied fearfully.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alright kids, there's chapter 19. This one took a lot longer than I wanted it to. At least it didn't take a month this time yeah? Anyways on to my end chapter summary.

So this chapter focused primarily on the Quincies and their happenings. Bambietta told Yuzu about her past and they had a run in with Gerard Valkyrie. At the time of this chapter's release, we don't really know any relevant information about the Sternritters' pasts besides Bazz B, Haschwalth, and As Nodt's. Because of that, I am just going to fill in the blanks myself. I don't know if Kubo will ever divulge the others' pasts canonically, but even if he does, I'm sticking with my own renditions for the most part. It's fanfiction so whatever…

I wrote Bambietta's past in a way that would explain her personality. I'm not sure if that's the direction Kubo would have taken it, but I felt like it made sense. We also got some insight into her opinions of the Wandenreich and several of its members. She and the others all serve faithfully out of racial duty of course…but they were all promised a wish. That leaves one to wonder what each person was promised and how their individual Schrifts match their pasts.

I don't even care if Kubo has another backstory planned for Gerard Valkyrie, because the guy is freaking Thor. He's a Viking and nobody can convince me otherwise. But yeah, I'll probably cover most of the relevant Sternritters' pasts at some point in the upcoming chapters. Not all of them will be as detailed as Bambietta's though. If there's a character in particular whose past you're dying to know, then make sure you mention it to me.

Up next we got a deeper insight into Giselle's true motives. Is she actually crazy or has she been playing everyone all along? Is there truth in both? What will she and Bazz B accomplish as a Quincy sleeper cell? Will Candice interfere? Lots of the unmentioned Sternritters will be making appearances soon.

Finally, we had the big reveal to Ichigo that the Quincies have Yuzu. What's in store for BG9? You'll see soon enough. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: The Pit Dwellers**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soifon, Outlands of Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Soifon followed the three arrancars for quite a while it seemed. The absence of any indication to time was really starting to wear heavily on her sanity. She had no way of knowing how long it had been since coming to Hueco Mundo. The desert seemed to go on forever, but something about these supposed Outlands were unfamiliar to her. She knew they were not the same as the desert she had been trekking before.

She wanted to know exactly how it was possible this place existed out of White's range of influence. The former captain shook her head deep in thought, '_It's just ridiculous to think that these hollows never even sensed White at any point. I mean the guy's power is intoxicating when he's exerting any kind of energy. I know Hueco Mundo is pretty large, but I don't really understand the scale of this world. Like where the hell are we?_'

"Something bothering you, Soifon?" Athena was quick to notice the former captain's distress.

The dark haired woman looked over at the arrancar and nodded, "Actually, yes. I was wondering…exactly where is this area in relation to Las Noches? I don't really understand the surface of Hueco Mundo all that well. It seems strange that Las Noches is only a legend out here. What keeps hollows from finding it? You make it sound like a lost city."

Athena shook her head, "It's not that surprising honestly. It's very atypical for anyone out here to know about it…let alone reach it. Las Noches is literally out of reach for most hollows in the Outlands. To actually even get there, you would have to get across the Abyssal Scar."

"Abyssal Scar? What's that?" Soifon perked up curiously.

Yin stared at Soifon intently, "I'm surprised you've never heard of it. Almost anyone who's heard of Las Noches knows about the Abyssal Scar. It's a huge dark chasm that separates the landmasses in Hueco Mundo. Most hollows just call it The Pit."

"Landmasses? Las Noches is on another landmass? I don't understand," Soifon's said confused.

"Allow me to explain, Soifon. Currently, we're on the smaller landmass called the Outlands. It's roughly one third the size of the main landmass. That mainland is called the Menos Highlands…it's on the other side of the Abyssal Scar," Athena elaborated.

Soifon shook her head, "Then what the hell are the Outskirts? Is that the same thing?"

"The Outskirts usually refer to the areas closest to the Abyssal Scar. It's commonly called Outskirts on the other side of the pit. The hollows here know it better as The Maw, though it is technically the Outskirts as well. We're actually close to the Maw Outskirts," Athena elaborated.

Soifon shook her head, "This is all confusing as hell. Why do they call it the Maw?"

"Because most hollows that cross into that territory are swallowed up by the Abyssal Scar. It's incredibly dangerous to venture near it and very dark in the Maw's Outskirts. Not to mention, pit dwellers are known to drag victims down below," Yin cut in.

'_So I'm on another landmass? That's preposterous! I wonder why the landmasses are split…it seems strange that some deep, dark trench would separate them. The name certainly seems unusual…Abyssal Scar? Scars normally imply it was cut or damaged somehow_. _It must be massive if it keeps the landmasses separated._' Soifon couldn't help but wonder.

"How big is the Abyssal Scar anyways? Has it always existed?" Soifon asked interested.

"Let's put it this way…crossing it isn't advisable. It's incredibly vast and deep. You can't even get across the Abyssal Scar practically because it's difficult to find the other side unless you know about it. That place is also completely absent of any light. So unless you can fly fast and see in the dark, then I wouldn't even attempt going near it. That place is terrifying to most hollows, so very few ever venture over it. Most hollows don't even know that it separates Hueco Mundo. It's seen as the edge of the world, so to speak. Anyone stupid enough to attempt crossing it, usually ends up dying to the pit dwellers. Only an incredibly powerful hollow could cross untouched." Yang explained.

"What are pit dwellers exactly? Are they hollows?" Soifon was even more confused now.

Yin rolled her eyes at Soifon's oblivious questions, "As the name suggests, they're hollows that live in the Abyssal Scar. Most of them are wretched creatures that don't even go through typical Menos Evolutions. It's pretty rare for a pit dweller to ever leave the immediate vicinity of the Abyssal Scar. Most of them hate light and very few ever achieve any kind of humanity. They're as primal as hollows come."

"What do they even look like?" Soifon wondered.

Yin thought for a moment, "Umm…they're not like Menos hollows. I think the closest comparison I could make is shadow hollows. There's actually a variety of different kinds of pit dwellers, but the only noteworthy ones are the Black Bat Colonies because they are the only ones who leave it. The bats are the ones that prey on anything in and around the Abyssal Scar. They all have huge green eyes from what I've seen."

"So these bat hollows sometimes leave the Pit?" Soifon thought somewhat curiously. She briefly recalled the memory of Ulquiorra. He had large, deep green eyes, and looked something like a bat in his release state. That added to the earlier records of him being a winged Vasto Lorde made her wonder if there was any connection.

"They can, but most typically don't. They hate light. The only natural light you'll ever see in the pit is from their glowing eyes," Yin replied.

"Exactly how much do you really know about these creatures?" the former captain asked carefully.

"I've been trying to study the bat pit dwellers for ages now. From what I've been able to learn, the stronger ones are all close to Vasto Lorde level in power. Those ones are called Alphas. There's actually four levels of power to them. Alphas are the most powerful and usually lead massive colonies. They're extremely rare and I imagine there's only a handful of them," Athena answered.

"What do Alphas look like?" Soifon asked.

"Alpha bats resemble winged demonic vampires. Well at least that's the most accurate way I could describe them. They're very intelligent and are some of the few that don't act or look like beasts. That makes them far more dangerous however. They're more than a match for any hollow short of an experienced Vasto Lorde or a mid to upper level arrancar," Athena explained.

Soifon's eyes widened, "I can imagine…they sound pretty terrifying. Winged vampire hollows are the last thing I ever want to see."

Yin nodded in agreement, "You can say that again. I wouldn't want to be bitten by one of those things."

Upon hearing Yin's comment, Soifon's mind trailed back to Ulquiorra again. The first sighting of him was with White. From what she could remember from the recording, Ulquiorra didn't even have a mouth. That added to the fact that he was pure white instead of black lead her to wonder if Ulquiorra was some kind of special pit dweller or even one at all.

"By themselves, you might stand a chance fighting one, but you'll never find an Alpha by itself. They always fly in colonies. Below Alphas are the Betas. They're stronger than Adjuchas, but weaker than Vasto Lordes. Betas look like gargoyles and there's roughly a dozen or so in each colony. They act as enforcers for the Alphas and are the most notorious for hunting Menos Hollows above the Scar. They have the ability to communicate, but typically don't," Athena continued.

"Below them are the Gammas. Unlike alphas and betas, their wings are fused with their upper arms. They're more primitive looking and have a very similar likeness to harpies or bipedal bats. Gammas are about as strong as normal adjuchas, but they are very beastly and feral. They can speak, but have underdeveloped cognitive abilities. Beneath Gammas are Deltas. The Deltas are the most common bat hollows I've seen. They're literally giant black bat hollows," Athena finally finished.

Soifon just stared at her for a moment taking in all of the information, '_I never imagined that Hueco Mundo was this complex. Not only is there another landmass in this place, but an entirely different evolution of hollows? So then what would that make White's friend? He was a white bat with no mouth. Could he have been one of them?'_

"So these bats are all black and shadowy? Have you ever seen a white one before?" Soifon asked doubtfully.

Athena stared at Soifon seriously, "A white one?! Have you seen a white bat?"

"No…I was just wondering if there were any like that," she responded cautiously.

The former Espada gave Soifon a somewhat suspicious look, "Are you sure you haven't seen it? The White Bat does actually exist. One of the betas I captured told me about it. It's as powerful as the alphas are supposedly. Though it's a one of a kind hollow. I've been searching for it for a long time."

"So where would this White Bat fall under in your classification if he's as strong as the alphas?" Soifon wondered.

"The White Bat is the Omega. The Beta I captured referred to it as such. They're all afraid of it from what I've been able to discern. I wanted to find it and discover why," Athena explained.

'_Well bad news for you…he's White's right hand enforcer,_' Soifon thought to herself.

"So how did you cross this Abyssal Scar exactly? How did you even see where you were going? Without any kind of landmark or horizon, it's not uncommon to go in circles when attempting something like that," Soifon changed the subject.

"Considering my nature, I was able to cross it without much trouble." Athena replied.

"Yeah, Lady Athena was a Phoenix Owl hollow…she can see in the dark, fly, and glows pretty bright. It probably scared all of the pit dwellers away," Yang added.

"Huh? A Phoenix owl? What the hell is that?" Soifon deadpanned.

Yin rolled her eyes, "It's the type of hollow she used to be. Obviously she retained traits from it. Her mere presence radiates light and she can see in the dark. It's not that complicated. I swear you're more clueless than the Adjuchas around here."

"Cut her some slack, Yin," Athena defended, "there's nothing wrong with her asking questions. If I recall correctly, you asked just as many when I found you."

"I-I…but I wasn't completely clueless," Yin tried to protest.

Yang sighed, "It's whatever, Yin…no need to get all serious about it. Soifon's one of us now, so it's only right to help her out. Besides, it's not like we have anything else to do on this walk."

"Yeah yeah, I hear you. It's just weird that she's so clueless considering the random bits of information she knows," the blue haired arrancar shrugged.

Soifon took a closer look at Athena and much to her surprise, she did notice a subtle glow around the arrancar. She stared for a brief moment, '_I guess that explains why she seems to glow. I thought I was just imagining it. I wonder what a Phoenix Owl looks like? Was that her hollow form? I wonder what White's was?_'

"So what about you two? Umm…Yin and Yang right? What kind of hollows were you?" Soifon asked curiously.

"We were sky serpents as Adjuchas. It's a pretty rare form for a hollow to take," Yin answered.

"Were you ever Vasto Lordes?" Soifon couldn't help but wonder.

Yang nodded, "Briefly…though Lady Athena found us before long. We've been arrancars for a while now."

"Sky serpents huh? Like dragons?" Soifon said with a hint of interest.

"Not exactly…wyverns and sky serpents are a lot like dragons, but they're not the same thing. A real dragon hollow would be a huge deal. Like…a ridiculously huge deal," Yin stated.

"How do you figure?" Soifon asked.

"Zangetsu was a dragon during Hueco Mundo's ancient past. He was the only one of the Adjuchas to ever take that form. It's quite symbolic really since he ended up becoming the King. Seeing another dragon would be the symbol of a new king. Dragons are powerful…and godly. A hollow in that form would be destined for greatness," Athena said distantly.

"So then what about a Phoenix Owl?" Soifon asked as she directed a serious look towards Athena.

The arrancar chuckled at her question, "Are you asking me if I'm powerful?"

"Something like that…you never really mentioned your place in the old days." Soifon said carefully. She already knew that Athena was an Espada, but was curious to see whether or not Athena would lie about it.

"There's no point in really avoiding the truth of the matter…I was an Espada. I prefer not to associate myself with the title anymore. I feel as if I have lost the right to call myself as such. It weighs upon my heart as a shadow of remorse. I regret living on while my fellow Espada died…I regret not avenging the death of my king. But…so much time has passed since then, and I have simply decided to move on. I'd rather not talk about it anymore to be honest," Athena sighed sadly.

"Yeah I won't mention it again," Soifon said in acceptance. Inwardly she was already dissecting the information, '_So she admits she was an Espada, but feels ashamed of using the title? Arrancars are a lot different than normal hollows…between these hollows and some of the ones I saw in Las Noches, they're not that far off from actually being human_.'

Upon realizing that fact, Soifon's mind stopped racing and began to slow down. She could barely wrap her head around the concept since it completely contradicted everything she formerly believed. Hollows were human…at least some of them were.

She was drawn from her thoughts by Athena's voice, "I'm very curious about you, Soifon. I understand that you might not have all of your memories, but would you care to tell us about yourself?"

"Yeah what kind of hollow were you?" Yin asked.

"If her mask was any indication, I'd say a bug of some kind…that mask fragment reminds me of antennae," Yang began to theorize.

Soifon always had a comparable likeness to a hornet, and decided to simply go with that. '_I have to tell them something…a hornet would make sense, being my hollow form_.'

"I was a hornet," Soifon answered bluntly.

"Huh…interesting. Bug hollows are known to be extremely powerful if they reach Vasto Lorde. I don't doubt that you're strong, Soifon. It will be interesting seeing what you can do in the days to come. We can help you master your arrancar abilities," Athena replied enthusiastically.

"So where exactly is your little base anyways?" Soifon changed the subject before they could investigate further.

"It's a considerable distance away, but nothing too crazy. You'll enjoy the tower," Athena said with a smile.

"Tower?" Soifon's eyes widened, "I thought you said it wasn't anything special!"

"Well compared to anything like the old days, I guess nothing is really all that impressive to me. You're free to make up your own mind about whether or not Torre Del Sol is impressive or not," Athena stated.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ulquiorra, Outskirts of the Menos Highlands XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ulquiorra stepped over towards the exact location where he and Ichigo once stood as Vasto Lordes. He stared into the darkness below with intensity, '_I swore I'd never return…but I must for the sake of understanding myself. Forgive me, Ichigo._'

The dark haired arrancar stood there for a moment taking in the full impact of his decision. He looked up at the moon one last time as if it were the last time he ever would. Without another moment to spare, he dove down into the Pit below. He descended for what felt like hours, but could very well have just been moments.

Returning to this abyssal, dark place brought a certain amount of uneasiness to him. Before meeting Ichigo, he was completely acceptant of the nihilistic reality of this place. A lot had changed since that time. He had seen the light…literally and figuratively. There was more to life than the dark, primal abyss. He had a purpose now…a reason to strive. He couldn't let the darkness swallow him whole. He had to master it, and himself.

Upon finally reaching the bottom, Ulquiorra looked around. Though he had excellent vision in the dark, he still couldn't see anything except barren emptiness. Ulquiorra let out a calm sigh as he decided to sit down. He closed his eyes and fully immersed his senses in the darkness. A stillness came over his mind as he began to think about his past in this place.

His thoughts grew more and more immersive, and before long, Ulquiorra found himself somewhere else entirely. He opened his eyes and found himself sitting atop a large mesa. The Moon dimly lit the sky above, but it was just enough to illuminate his surroundings.

In all directions, he could see an empty dune sea where sand aimlessly blew. Above him, a high perch extended skyward from the Mesa. He looked at it curiously, and saw that it was a cave entrance of some kind. His eyes drifted skyward for a moment and examined a strange series of stars. They were shaped in constellations which seemed very familiar.

A sound caught his attention from the cave entrance ahead of him. Ulquiorra snapped his attention back to it, and spotted a pair of eyes. They had golden irises, outlined within green sclera. Stepping from the shadows, the figure's dimly lit silhouette came into view.

This creature was black and white, and had wings quite similar to what he had seen of the other hollows in the Pit. Ulquiorra stoically examined the creature and said nothing as he awaited its next action.

The creature stepped further out of the darkness of the cave and caught a streak of moonlight that revealed its form entirely. Upon seeing it, Ulquiorra felt a strange sense of déjà vu as if he knew what this being was.

It stared at him for a long while before finally speaking, "You haven't looked into your soul in quite some time, Ulquiorra. What brings you back to the shadows?"

"Murcielago…is that you?" Ulquiorra asked, but truthfully he was already convinced of the being's identity.

"You recognize your true self…but you do not understand it. You have changed much since leaving the darkness of the pit. Does this place look different to you? There is light in your soul now…the moon and stars shine within the darkness of your heart," Murcielago said calmly.

"I need to understand myself…I need more power. Tell me what I must do," Ulquiorra said seriously.

"You must embrace what you truly are…and embody the entirety of your soul. The darkness will always be a part of you. Your rejection of this truth is the only thing holding you back," Murcielago explained.

"What am I then?" Ulquiorra asked.

"You're me…" Murcielago answered cryptically.

Ulquiorra stared at his inner self doubtfully, "I don't quite follow what you mean by that."

"Conquer yourself…and accept what you are," Murcielago responded. A second later he appeared in front of Ulquiorra and threw him into the dark dune covered horizon. Ulquiorra's eyes widened as he regained his bearings.

Murcielago held his arm up and formed a massive green energy spear as he stared Ulquiorra down, "Are you ready?"

"Why are you attacking me?" Ulquiorra asked seriously as he drew his Zanpakuto.

"If you don't understand that, then you'll never reach Segunda Etapa," Murcielago replied.

"You WILL give me the answers I seek…I don't time for this," Ulquiorra responded disapprovingly.

"You don't have a choice…" Murcielago replied before charging in with his lanza. The sheer power behind it was incredible as Ulquiorra parried. He slid back a considerable distance in the sand from the sheer recoil.

He barely had time to react as Murcielago appeared behind him and wing slapped him to the ground. Ulquiorra swiftly jumped up and dodged the lanza as it speared into the ground. He began to take the battle more seriously now as he held his Zanpakuto up, "Enclose, Murcielago."

A green light blinded the area as Ulquiorra transformed into his Resurreccion state. He barely had time to summon two Luz de la Luna spears as Murcielago swung his lanza against him.

Ulquiorra struggled with all of his might against Murcielago's superior strength. '_Why is he this strong?_' the bat arrancar thought urgently as he flaked off and distanced himself. He stared his inner self down with dead serious eyes. His mind was racing as he tried to rationalize the situation, '_Why are we fighting? It shouldn't be like this…_'

"Lanza del Relampago," Murcielago said calmly as he formed a second energy javelin. Ulquiorra's eyes widened concerned, '_That's not good…_'

Without a moment of hesitation, Murcielago threw one of the weapons at Ulquiorra. The sheer power it seemed to radiate made Ulquiorra nervous. He didn't even attempt to counter it as he flew out of its trajectory as fast as possible.

Despite getting a good distance away, he still felt a shockwave from a titanic explosion behind him. He briefly glanced back and saw a green mushroom cloud before the full force hit him. The force pushed him considerably skyward, but he managed to recover thanks to his wings.

Ulquiorra looked around for Murcielago, but soon found himself flying towards the ground from a swift toss. As he descended, the bat appeared beneath him and uppercut him into the air again. Ulquiorra extended and flapped his wings rapidly as he tried to recover, but wasn't fast enough to stop Murcielago from grabbing his leg and swinging him into the distance. He spiraled sporadically before crashing into the massive mesa from earlier.

As he tried to peel himself out of the rocky crater in the Mesa wall, a black and green light illuminated the distance. Ulquiorra got off the rock wall and looked for a new direction to move. "Cero Oscuras," Murcielago's voice sounded. Ulquiorra's eyes shot open as he turned around and spotted Murcielago right behind him.

He looked seriously between the approaching light in the distance and Murcielago firing a Cero almost point blank at him. '_Did he fire a cero and get here before it even reached me?!_' Ulquiorra thought shocked.

Thinking fast, he tossed both Luz de Luna spears at the approaching cero, before charging Murcielago. They seemed sufficient in stopping it, thankfully. Ulquiorra then grabbed Murcielago's arm and clutched tightly as he tried to point it away. Due to Ulquiorra's close range, the second Cero Oscuras wasn't able to hit him, and instead flew into the distance igniting it in another colossal surge of power.

Murcielago didn't seem fazed as he proceeded to peel Ulquiorra off of him. The black bat grabbed Ulquiorra by the throat and held him against the Mesa wall. Ulquiorra reached up with one hand as he attempted to squeeze Murcielago's wrist. It proved futile much to his shock. The green eyed arrancar tried to form another spear with his other arm, but quickly found it held down by Murcielago's tail.

Forming another Lanza in his free hand, Murcielago pulled back his arm as he attempted to impale Ulquiorra. At the last possible second, Ulquiorra's legs flew up and kicked the bat in the face. He proceeded to wrap a leg around the bat's neck before grabbing onto him from behind. Ulquiorra squeezed tightly as he slipped down and put his arms in a sleeper hold around Murcielago's neck. He proceeded to lock his legs around Murcielago's waist as well and squeezed tightly.

Unfortunately, this didn't last long as Murcielago's tail grabbed Ulquiorra by the neck jerking him off. Ulquiorra tried to cut the tail as he formed a new spear, but quickly found himself airborne again as Murcielago threw him skyward.

As he ascended, Ulquiorra shook his head dumbfounded, '_How can he be this powerful? Nothing I do is effective at all…he's on a completely different level than me._'

Ulquiorra soon found himself caught in midair by Murcielago's tail. It held him in front of the bat by his throat. He stared at Ulquiorra and shook his head, "No matter what you do, you'll never be as strong as I am."

"This isn't over yet…I can't lose to you. Ichigo is depending on me," Ulquiorra said resoundingly.

Murcielago threw Ulquiorra back towards the ground. He went crashing into the Mesa top leaving another crater. Ulquiorra struggled to his feet as he attempted to recover. "I can't lose to him…I can't fail," Ulquiorra repeated to himself as he regained his will to fight.

Murcielago appeared in front of him with his lanza and stared intently, "Still fighting it I see? Why? Is this not what you wanted?"

"I didn't want to fight you," Ulquiorra replied softly.

"Yet you resist with force. I don't think you're ready," Murcielago replied.

"You won't stop me…" Ulquiorra said seriously.

Murcielago shook his head, "No…only you will."

It was at that moment an epiphany struck Ulquiorra, '_Wait…he said I'm him. That I had to accept the entirety of what I am. This is in my mind…fighting him is like resisting what I am. I don't need to fight myself…I need to embrace it._'

During his revelation, Ulquiorra noticed Murcielago rearing back to stab him with his lanza. Much to Murcielago's surprise Ulquiorra spread his arms and closed his eyes as it impaled him.

"You understand now…" Murcielago said distantly. His voice seemed to carry a strange echo as Ulquiorra's inner world became blinded with green spiritual energy. His eyes shot open afterward, which brought him back to reality.

Ulquiorra looked around seriously and saw that he was glowing like a black emerald star in the dark pit. He looked at his hands shocked. They were black and clawed…just like Murcielago's. The revelation of the situation finally hit him, '_I am Murcielago…the bat of the abyss. Is this my true form? My Segunda Etapa?!_'

Something strange caught his attention after recovering from his shock. Ulquiorra spotted a swarm of eyes in the shadows surrounding him. He could see them clearly in the darkness…his dark kin. The eyes of the pit dwellers grew closer and closer as he soon found himself completely surrounded.

Ulquiorra looked around at them curiously, '_I wonder why they're here?'_

Upon realizing that Ulquiorra was active again, the pit dwellers scattered in all directions as they fled from him. '_I should probably get out of here…the others need to know about how to achieve Segunda Etapa_,' Ulquiorra thought as he began to take off into the air. He flew fast and before long found himself upon the cliff edge once again. Briefly landing, he took one last look at the pit with an accepting stare, '_At least something good came out of returning to this place_.'

A strange thought crossed his mind as he stared over the Pit. '_I am a bat…so are they. I wonder if they'd react to my voice at all? I've never tried communicating with them since I didn't have a mouth before._'

Without giving it too much thought, he let out an unusual sounding screech. It was the first time he had ever attempted doing something like it, but for some reason the sound felt proper. He stared for a short time before turning his head around, '_Should have figured that was pointless to attempt…_'

Not even seconds later, he sensed a strange vibration hit him. He could hear and feel it at the same time. It was quite like that of a bat's sonar. He cocked his head confused, '_That's odd…they responded to me._'

He thought about investigating the issue further, but ultimately just put the matter aside as he took his leave, '_I don't have time to test this out anyways. I need to get back to Las Noches_.'

As he began to fly away, he heard another screech behind him. This time it sounded way more powerful. He immediately turned around mid air and spotted a winged black hollow. It was approaching him at high speed. Upon getting in range, the creature landed in front of him and stared intently.

'_This one looks different than the others…almost like a Vasto Lorde_,' Ulquiorra thought. Though he didn't know it, this pit dweller was an alpha.

The Alpha faced the pit and let out a loud screech before turning back to Ulquiorra. Additional pit dwellers began to emerge from the shadows and quickly swarmed around them. '_Am I going to have to kill them?_' Ulquiorra wondered as he looked over the colony of bat hollows landing around him.

"I've never heard your call before…who are you? What are you? Why did you call my colony?" the Alpha asked Ulquiorra.

Much to his shock, the Alpha was female. He stared at this Vasto Lorde looking pit dweller with curiosity. She was covered in black armor like skin with some fur over the legs and arms. Her hands and feet resembled demonic claws and talons. Her mask was a lot like how his used to look, but it was black with green streaks. Fangs were highly pronounced on her hollow teeth as well which gave her a vampire-like appearance. She also had wings exactly like his and a similar pair of large green eyes. Her hollow hole rested in the same place his did and around it, he could see her exposed skin. It was a smoky gray quite unlike his ghostly pale skin.

"My name is Ulquiorra…" was all the man said as he continued to look around at the large swarm staring at him.

The Alpha cocked her head as she took a step closer, "My Betas told me that a powerful hollow had entered the Abyssal Scar. I am surprised by the power you exerted in my territory. Tell me what you are…and why you called the colony."

"I am an arrancar…" Ulquiorra answered bluntly.

"Arrancar?" the alpha said confused, "what is that? Are you a Menos?"

"No, I was born in this pit…you might not remember me from then, but I wasn't like the others," Ulquiorra responded as he receded his Segunda Etapa.

Upon reverting back to his humanoid arrancar form, the surrounding pit dwellers began to screech amongst each other. He wasn't quite sure why, but the widened eyes of the Alpha led him to believe that they were shocked.

"Your mask…it's broken? How are you so powerful then?" the alpha wondered as she examined Ulquiorra's normal form.

"That white horn…" a nearby beta said disbelievingly.

The Alpha immediately took a step back upon realizing who Ulquiorra was, "You're the Omega!?"

The colony of bats seemed highly agitated by the announcement and screeched back and forth in debate.

Ulquiorra gave the Alpha an uncertain look, "What? Omega?"

"The White Bat…you're the Omega. What happened to you? Do you live among the Menos now?" The alpha asked bewildered.

"I live in the moonlight of Hueco Mundo. It's a far better existence than living alone in the pit," Ulquiorra stated.

"You never answered my question, Omega…what is an Arrancar?" The alpha asked.

"They are hollows with Shinigami power. We're as close to humans as hollows can become. I am one of the Espada, the elite ten arrancars. We coexist in Hueco Mundo under the rule High King White, the Cero Espada," Ulquiorra explained.

"His mask is broken like the other hollow we saw. She must be an arrancar as well," one of the betas told the alpha. The alpha held her clawed hand up silencing the gargoyle looking creature.

"So you are aligned with the bright purple haired hollow? I sent my betas to track her down when she flew over the Abyssal Scar. Are you allies with her? She was very powerful and we couldn't stop her from crossing," the alpha said distantly.

"Stop her from crossing? Crossing the pit? To go where?" Ulquiorra asked with a touch of anxiousness.

"To the Outlands…you don't know about that?" the Alpha said slowly.

"Outlands?" Ulquiorra said uncertainly.

"Yes…they're the landmass on the other side of our territory," the alpha explained.

Ulquiorra looked genuinely concerned, "There's another side to the pit, and a purple haired arrancar crossed it you say? How long ago was this?"

One of the betas stepped forward and answered immediately, "It happened a considerable time back, but we still remember. She had a broken mask like you, Omega, and was very powerful."

The alpha nodded, "She radiates light and flies over the Pit from time to time. I didn't understand what she was until now. If what you say is true, then she is an arrancar. I also saw a number on her shoulder as well."

"A number?" Ulquiorra could barely describe the tension he felt as this newfound information was slowing unraveling.

"Yes…the number 1 was on her shoulder. Does that mean anything to you?" the alpha asked.

Ulquiorra's face was truly full of disbelief. His mind began to race, '_A purple haired arrancar with the number 1 on her shoulder?! Only an Espada would have a number that low…and what is this about her crossing the pit to go to another landmass? I need to investigate this…but it might be smarter if I informed Ichigo first. I imagine he would definitely want to look into the issue_.'

"You see this number on the back of my hands? It is the number 4. I am only the fifth strongest ranked arrancar in Hueco Mundo. The number 1 would represent the Primera, the second most powerful hollow. And 0 is White's number," Ulquiorra finally spoke.

The alpha walked closer and looked at the numbers on Ulquiorra's hands, "So then this purple haired arrancar was your Primera?"

"No she isn't…our Primera was the former King of Las Noches, Barragan. That means there's a second Primera," Ulquiorra deduced for them.

A brief silence passed as they all reflected on this revelation. During this time, it finally dawned on Ulquiorra that this situation was unusual. Why were these Pit Dwellers talking to him and not attacking? What did this alpha and her colony intend to do about his release of power in their territory?

"How did you become an arrancar, Omega? Are you our enemy? Or do you stand with your own kind?" the Alpha asked after a long, gaping silence.

"I was never one of you to begin with…but no I am not your enemy. I became an Arrancar by following High King White. I came here in order to achieve a greater level of power. My form you saw earlier was that achievement. We're training for a war. All hollows are building up power for the war with the Shinigami," the arrancar responded.

Many of the lesser pit dwellers were clueless about the information, but the betas and the alpha seemed to understand some of what he was saying.

"A higher level of power? So you surpassed the Alphas after all? I guess you were born different for a reason…" the alpha said as if piecing everything together.

"How do so many Menos coexist under such leadership? Don't you have to feed?" the alpha asked.

Ulquiorra shook his head, "No, Arrancars do not have to feed on other hollows."

"Interesting…the other alphas should definitely hear about this. They will be very interested in your…transformation," the alpha noted.

"I need to return to Las Noches and inform White about this second Primera Espada. We had no idea there was somewhere across the pit. He might want to explore it," Ulquiorra informed them.

The alpha gave him a curious look, "Do you intend to cross the Abyssal Scar, Omega? What gives you the right to enter our territory?"

"Right by power. None of you are a match for any of the Espada, let alone High King White. We have no intention to disturb you however. We will simply cross," Ulquiorra replied calmly.

"By power you say? Interesting…very interesting indeed. I'll tell you what, Omega. Return here with your King and I will gather the other alphas to meet him. If he can prove his strength to us, then we will grant you passage across. Deal?" The alpha said slowly.

"You have my word…by the way, what is your name?" Ulquiorra asked curiously.

"I am the Alpha of this colony. The other alphas however refer to me as Dusk. You can call me that if you wish," Dusk replied.

"I will return as soon as possible," Ulquiorra stated as he began to walk through the swarm.

Much to his fascination, they moved aside as he passed. As he continued onward, he heard Dusk's voice again, "The other alphas won't be as understanding as I am, Omega. If they don't agree to this, then I will side with them over you. Your King better be as strong as you say he is."

"My name is Ulquiorra…" was all he said in response before flying away.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soifon, Torre Del Sol, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After a considerable trek through the desert, Soifon noticed something bizarre about the Outlands. The further they got from the Pit, the brighter the sky seemed to become. In fact, it didn't even appear to be the permanent night that she was used to seeing now.

Soifon looked around greatly confused by the change and noticed the moon was completely absent from the sky as well. After going over a massive cliff wall, she stood on the edge next to Athena, Yin, and Yang. All four of them were looking over the horizon where Soifon could see a massive tower sticking into the sky. Directly above it, she saw the Sun.

There was daylight in this part of Hueco Mundo. Soifon shook her head in disbelief as she tried to theorize reasons why that would be. She didn't really get much of a chance to think before Athena interrupted her thoughts, "Here you have it, Soifon…Torre Del Sol. This is my little base of operations so to speak."

The former Shinigami gawked at the building, '_She certainly didn't prepare me for this! She considers THIS a little base?! That tower is enormous!_'

"You don't consider this impressive?" Soifon asked Athena disbelievingly.

The tower was far more incredible than Athena led her to believe. It must have been at least a kilometer high, and the tower was adorned in some type of white stone. It seemed to share a similar architecture to Las Noches but under the sunlight it radiated like a pillar of supremacy compared to everything nearby. Soifon stared at it in wonder and couldn't help but think how strange it was that hollows managed to create something so incredibly beautiful in their drab, depressing world.

"It's not really impressive in comparison to Las Noches. The Night Palace was far more impressive," Athena restated.

'_She considers that oversized dome with a bunch of flat top pillars more impressive than this tower?! Is she crazy?_' Soifon thought.

"Las Noches was surrounded by six towers just like this. It's central citadel was twice as tall as all of them and decorated in the banners of the Espada. It was truly remarkable," Athena said distantly.

Things started to make more sense to Soifon as she thought about Las Noches' current architecture. Its surrounding towers were only about half the size of this one, and Las Noches did not have a central citadel…at least not anymore.

'_Those towers at Las Noches were all mostly flat at the tops. And the dome that made up the main part of the palace was well below the same plane of their tops. Maybe during the war they were cut in half? The citadel certainly isn't there anymore. I guess whatever hollow replaced Zangetsu turned it into a dome? Maybe that's why she keeps referring to Las Noches as a ruin. This is all too much for me to take in right now,_' Soifon noted mentally.

"Why is there daylight here but eternal night back there?" Soifon asked confused.

"Good question…I'll tell you if you answer a question for me. Do you think I'm a fool?" Athena asked bluntly.

"W-what?" Soifon replied nervously.

Yin and Yang traded confused looks with one another not understanding Athena's question themselves.

"You were a Shinigami weren't you?" Athena asked.

Yin and Yang both jaw dropped, but before they had a chance to voice their anger, Athena held a hand up to silence them.

"What makes you think that?" Soifon replied carefully.

"You're wearing black…you had a Zanpakuto before becoming a full arrancar…your scleras were black. Only hollows with vast Shinigami power get black sclera eyes. You're also far more curious about Hueco Mundo than any hollow I've encountered. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you're a former Shinigami," Athena deduced.

Soifon looked down completely shamed, "Why didn't you kill me then? Don't you hate Shinigami? What was the point of telling me all that stuff and bringing me here then?"

"You're not a Shinigami anymore…you're a hollow. I told you those things because I was curious about how you ended up like this. I also wanted to see how you'd act if I pretended to be oblivious. It was all to test your character. You chose to follow us…whether it was out of curiosity or desperation is irrelevant. So you mind telling me how you ended up an arrancar like this?" Athena asked.

The former captain was terrified at the idea of being caught in a lie and simply decided to admit the truth, "I…was transformed by this hollow named White. He sent me back to the Soul Society in some strange hollowfied state. I can't remember exactly what happened, but I was in a lab and they said something about the possibility of Soul Suicide. I thought I was going to die, but instead I became some type of Visored I think."

"A Visored? What the heck is that?" Yang wondered.

Yin seemed deeply troubled by the news that Soifon was a former Shinigami, and was glaring daggers at her.

"A Visored is a Shinigami with hollow powers…they're the antithesis of arrancars," Soifon answered.

"I'm surprised the Shinigami would tolerate something like that…" Athena said doubtfully.

"T-they didn't…they tried to execute me. Before it could happen I escaped through Negacion in the Soul Society." Soifon explained.

"You called a Menos Guardian? I'm surprised a Shinigami would know about something like that. I wasn't even aware your kind knew about Negacion," Athena said piecing the puzzle together.

"How does it feel huh? To try and be killed just for being a hollow?!" Yin interrupted somewhat bitterly as she continued to glare at Soifon.

The former captain sighed and looked down, "Look, I just follow orders okay? My family has served the Soul Society for generations. We have to maintain balance and keep the worlds in order."

"Why you! Even in spite of Athena's mercy you're still acting like one of them!? You make me sick!" Yin spat.

"Calm down, Yin," Athena said sternly before facing Soifon again.

"You say black sclera represent strong Shinigami powers, mistress? Does that mean she was like a captain or something?" Yang asked Athena.

The former espada tilted her head at Soifon knowingly, "Were you a Shinigami Captain?"

"Yes…" Soifon admitted quietly.

"Hueco Mundo isn't quite what you thought it was, huh? Arrancars are scarce and your generation has probably never seen one before. When I spoke about the Gotei 13, you seemed troubled. Is the fire wielder Yamamoto still alive? Or the Kenpachi Unohana? They murdered Zangetsu you know. I don't know what kind of upbringing you had beneath such ruthless warriors, Soifon, but understand this: They are bigger monsters than any hollow ever was," Athena said conclusively.

Soifon looked down again, "So what happens now?"

"I say we kill this Shinigami bitch!" Yin growled.

Athena glanced over at Yin and narrowed her gaze. One second later, the arrancar was on her knees struggling to stay up. "Calm down," the lavender beauty said in a low tone.

'_She dropped that arrancar to her knees by just looking at her? Did she do that with her spiritual pressure? This Athena is even stronger than I thought_,' Soifon realized.

"When we first found you, you mentioned the name White. I am curious…who is he?" Athena asked, "and why did he hollowfy you?"

"White is a dangerous hollow that showed up on our radar a few years ago. He's been the number one priority for the Soul Society for a while now. He invaded the Soul Society and infiltrated the Seireitei with the help of three traitor captains by the names of Aizen, Tousen, and Ichimaru. He declared war on the Soul Society and destroyed the Sekkiseki Barrier along with an entire Rukongai District," Soifon answered.

"Sekkiseki barrier? What is that?" Athena asked.

"It's a force field around the Seireitei created by the Sekkiseki stone walls. It nullifies spiritual power which keeps anyone from breaking into the heart of the Soul Society," Soifon explained.

"Such a thing exists now? The Shinigami from my time didn't hide behind walls. Your wall must not have been that impenetrable if a single hollow broke through it," Athena noted.

Soifon shrugged, "Yeah…I guess so."

"Wait so…three captains betrayed the Soul Society and helped this hollow infiltrate the Seireitei? Why?" Yang asked.

"That's what I came to Hueco Mundo for to find out…I was the Stealth Force Captain. I came here to find out what their reason for attacking us was," Soifon bent the truth.

"One hollow has the Soul Society that terrified? Hmph…you're a lot weaker than you used to be if that's the case. They didn't fear the Espada when we were in our prime," Athena noted.

Yin stood up and appeared calm now. She shook her head confused, "Is that why you were looking for Las Noches?"

"This White…does he live in Las Noches?" Athena asked curiously.

"He's the King…" Soifon answered after an awkward silence.

Athena narrowed her gaze somewhat disgusted, "Is that so? A true king is measured by his influence over a population. Ruling over the ruins of Las Noches with a bunch of Adjuchas does not make one worthy of such a title. Only Zangetsu deserved that title."

"We should go see this guy for ourselves. It's an insult to the Espada for him to call himself the King of Hueco Mundo," Yang suggested.

"Good luck with that…White is the most powerful hollow the Soul Society has ever encountered. He's also got his own Espada. Las Noches is full of arrancars loyal to him," Soifon stated.

"What?! His own Espada?! So that's why you were staring at my number?" Athena said displeased.

Soifon nodded, "Yeah…between them and three traitor Shinigami captains, I doubt you'd even reach him. I was a fool for thinking I could outplay White. The guy's a monster…a true fiend. He did this to me because I hated hollows."

"I see…and he sent you back like that as well? This White seems serious about warring with the Soul Society. He sounds like the complete opposite of Zangetsu," Athena sighed.

"I think I like this guy already. Is he recruiting?" Yin said approvingly.

"That's a rather cruel thing to do…especially to a former Shinigami Captain. There's a difference between justice and revenge. This White sounds no better than the old Gotei 13. It would have been more merciful to simply kill you," Yang held her head dejectedly.

"Does he actually have the capability to challenge the Shinigami leaders power-wise?" Yin asked anxiously. She seemed impressed despite Athena and Yang's reactions.

"Before all of this happened I would have said no…but now I know for a fact that we stand no chance of winning without mass casualties. There's simply too many powerful hollows that serve him," Soifon answered.

Athena stared blankly in the distance as if she was in a state of disbelief. Finally, she regained her senses and looked at Torre Del Sol, "I'm surprised such a cruel, bloodthirsty hollow had the ability to unite so many hollows beneath him. How could I have been blind to this happening? I visited the Menos Highlands about a century ago. I would have noticed a rising arrancar population."

"I'm surprised you're not in support of it to be honest…" Soifon shook her head.

Athena crossed her arms, "It doesn't make sense to me. Where did all of those arrancars come from? Why are they hungry for war?"

"We don't know…the Soul Society had no idea about any of this until just recently. We thought White just had a few Vasto Lordes working with him. I had no idea that he had an arrancar army," Soifon shrugged.

"What's the matter, Athena? I thought you'd be happy to see the Shinigami taken down a notch," Yin noticed.

"Something about this just doesn't sit right with me. I need to see for myself what's going on," Athena said seriously.

'_I was afraid she was going to say something like that…but what do I really have to lose at this point? It's not like I'm part of the Soul Society anymore. I don't know what to think or do…but this Athena woman doesn't seem all that bad. She's going to get herself killed if she crosses White though. I wonder what that bastard will say when he sees me again?_' Soifon wondered.

All of a sudden, the four of them sensed a skyrocketing spiritual pressure coming from the direction of the Abyssal Scar. From the distance, Athena could barely make out a green pillar of spiritual energy flashing skyward.

"What was that?!" Yang gasped concerned.

"Black and green spiritual energy? That's strange…only pit dwellers have green spiritual energy here. I've never seen it black like that though," Athena said.

"What does that mean exactly?" Yin chimed in.

"It means one of the pit dwellers is an arrancar. And judging by that power, it's a powerful one too. Possibly one of the alphas," Athena realized.

"You asked me earlier if I saw the white bat right? I did…it's White's arrancar buddy. The two of them have been sighted together the most in all of White's attacks. When we first saw it, the white bat didn't even have a mouth. He's pretty much White's right hand enforcer," Soifon told them.

"Come inside the tower, Soifon…I want to show you something," Athena gestured for Soifon to follow her as she jumped down and fast tracked towards it.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo, Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo sighed heavily as he walked out of Szayel's lab again. They had just finished interrogating BG9, and he was now up to speed on the Quincies and their plans. The arrancar shook his head, '_This isn't good. They're planning on attacking us first…which would make it a bad idea to directly attack the Shinigami first. That would leave us exposed on a two front war. Besides…I can't just leave Yuzu there all by herself. I won't let them turn her into one of them. It's bad enough Karin and the Old guy had to get involved, but Yuzu too?! Aizen was right…I need to acquire my Second form as soon as possible._'

He was drawn from his thoughts as he noticed Zommari standing nearby outside of the lab. The burly man looked at him curiously, "What are we going to do, White?"

"Nothing changes for the time being. Szayel has that Quincy properly restrained, and I highly doubt he's in a hurry to return to his leaders since we forced that information out of him. The best thing to do for now is to continue training," Ichigo sighed.

"I understand…do you have any plans to deal with the Quincies any time soon?" Zommari asked.

Ichigo nodded, "We're going to let them come to us. It gives us time to properly set things up for their arrival. Szayel is continuing work on his bio-weapon, and all of the Espada are working on achieving second releases. We'll reconvene later whenever everyone gets back from training."

"Szayel's safety should be a high priority if we're counting on his bio-weapon. You do not need to concern yourself with matters here, your highness. I will see to it that the Quincy remains docile and that Szayel is protected should anything occur," Zommari suggested.

"Alright, that sounds good. Try to get as much training in as you can though," Ichigo nodded.

"The scientist has already offered me good advice on how to improve. I will see to it that I do so," Zommari said conclusively.

"Alright, see you later then," Ichigo waved before taking his leave.

He made his way further down the palace hallways until he finally reached his room. Upon stepping inside, Ichigo noticed Nel standing there. The Turquoise haired beauty looked up at him eagerly as he entered his room.

"Ichigo!? There you are! I've been looking for you the past day it seems. I figured you'd eventually come back to your room so I just waited here in case you were wondering," Nel quickly explained the situation.

"That's fine, Nel…what did you need?" Ichigo asked.

She frowned, "It's about those Quincies…there's no doubt in my mind that they were just simple scouts, but it still took Grimmjow and myself to stop them. I'm worried about how powerful they are. Are we in any real position to fight even a dozen of enemies like that? Sure the Espada can likely match them…but what about the enemy leaders?"

"Szayel, Zommari, Yylfordt, and I all uncovered some information about them from the android Quincy survivor. The three that came here were indeed Sternritters…the elite knights of the Wandenreich. Supposedly there's about two dozen of them at any given time. From that number, only a handful of them are truly a match for the Espada. According to the Quincy survivor, BG9, most of the Sternritters are at or above the power level of Shinigami Captains," Ichigo clarified.

Nel seemed even more distressed now, "Two dozen enemies just like them? That's a lot to deal with…did you learn about which ones were the most dangerous or powerful?"

Ichigo nodded, "Yes…according to BG9 there are six members of the Wandenreich that they consider war potentials. Sternritters B, C, D, M, V, and their leader Yhwach who is A. Whenever the Espada reconvene, I'll go over what we've uncovered about these war potentials and their powers. There's no need to be worried Nel. So long as we remain smart and all achieve our second releases, then everything will be fine."

"Well if the upper Espada are preoccupied in dealing with the six war potentials, then who's going to fight the other Sternritters?" Nel wondered.

"Our Fracciones and the Numeros will have to. That's why I stressed the importance of training them. Don't fret too much over that…the rest of the Espada will be able to help them, and I have Szayel preparing a Bio-weapon for extra measures. We'll be ready for them, Nel," Ichigo said intensely as he envisioned ripping apart the Quincy ranks.

"Well I feel a little better knowing you at least have a plan for this. Thanks for calming me down, Ichigo," Nel let out a sigh of relief. It was very evident that she was stressed over the impending invasion.

"Have you made any progress with your training at all?" Ichigo asked.

Nel shrugged, "Some I guess…but I don't really understand how we're supposed to reach a second level you know?"

"Well I'm about to go train further out in the desert. You're welcome to join me if you'd like," Ichigo offered.

"I'd love to train with you, but are you sure I wouldn't get in your way? I don't want to be a distraction if you need time to really get things done. I know you've been really busy with everyone coming to you for every little thing lately," she said with a reserved demeanor.

"You won't be a distraction for me, Nel. Don't worry about that…and besides I know you're strong enough to hold your own with me. We'll get some good training in," Ichigo said encouragingly.

'_Not a distraction huh? I guess Ichigo doesn't really see me any differently than he does the others. The real problem is he's a distraction for me_…' Nel thought to herself.

"Well…it's more along the lines of me not being able to focus around you," she said quietly.

Ichigo cocked his head confused, "Really? Why's that?"

"Umm, well you know…I've never actually been alone with you before now. I'd be too tempted to talk and stuff instead of train," Nel said shyly.

"I understand, Nel…it's no problem. I'm going to head out there for a bit. Let me know if you change your mind," he said as he made his way to the balcony edge. Before he could reach it, he felt Nel grab his hand from behind.

He turned back to look at her confused, and noticed she had a small smile on her face. He stared at her for a moment uncertainly, "What?"

She immediately proceeded to hug him tightly. Ichigo watched her curiously as Nel stood there for a brief moment in her embrace. The arrancar woman sighed heavily, "Thanks for being so great, Ichigo…you make everything around here better."

"No problem, Neliel…thanks for coming by. I'll catch up with you later," Ichigo hugged back before breaking the embrace and departing into the horizon.

After he left, Nel leaned against the balcony and swallowed the lump in her throat, '_It's so hard to hold back around him. Under any other situation I can remain level headed, but Ichigo just brings something out in me that I can't repress. I'd love to train with him…but he's too much of a distraction for me. I'll work hard and make sure I reach second release…for the sake of all of us. I don't want to lose what he's created for everyone in Las Noches._'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo, Further out in the Desert XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Finally a considerable distance away from Las Noches, Ichigo stopped and began to think about how he was going to reach his second release. The hollow king let out a brief sigh as he sat down against a nearby rock formation. He tried to get all of the recent events out of his mind and focus solely on the matter at hand. Ichigo took this time to think about what Aizen had told him before.

'_The blade is a part of me…I need to try and contact Zangetsu in my mind like I did that one time with Aizen. But how will I do that?_' Ichigo wondered as his mind drifted blankly.

'_Zangetsu…who are you really? The original king of Hueco Mundo…there must be a reason why my Zanpakuto is named after you…_' Ichigo thought to himself as he drifted deeper and deeper into his mind. After what felt like a long silence, he opened his eyes and found himself in his inner world.

This time however, instead of sideways skyscrapers, he saw what appeared to be a desert city. Ichigo was standing on top of a tall tower and noticed several others just like it nearby. For some odd reason, the moon was completely full as well. Below the towers was a large city encircled around them and in the middle of the towers was a massive citadel.

He stared at it in awe as he looked around, "This place looks so familiar…" Ichigo said aloud as he leapt from the tower and flew around the massive citadel at high speed. Ichigo quickly made his way to the peak of the colossal, central tower and finally realized something.

'_This place looks a lot like Hueco Mundo. Those towers…that sand…what the hell is this place?!_' Ichigo thought confused.

He stood at the pinnacle of the central tower and looked over the city below with amazement.

"Las Noches…Quite a sight to see isn't it?" A voice sounded from behind.

Ichigo reflexively spun around with his hand on the hilt of his weapon, "Zangetsu?! Is that you?"

His eyes widened in confusion when he saw a ghostly pale hollow with black scleras, golden irises, and white hair.

The hollow looked almost exactly like him, but with a different color scheme. Ichigo stared at the hollow confused, "You're…not Zangetsu. Where is he?"

"He is Zangetsu, but so am I," a dark haired, blue eyed third party announced.

Ichigo gawked as he saw the dark haired blue eyed teenager again. This time, he didn't appear half hollowfied, but completely normal.

"What the hell is this?! Why's there two of you?" Ichigo demanded confused.

"For the same reason you have a dual Zanpakuto. He is your inner hollow and I am your inner Quincy. Your Shinigami powers are too strong to fit into one weapon, and Quincy and hollow powers cannot fuse. As a result, you have two Zanpakutos and two halves of Zangetsu," the dark haired teenager stated calmly as he walked next to the white hollow.

Ichigo stared at the two of them for a moment before shaking his head, "I don't get it…

"We only combined because you were in trouble last time. Under normal situations, you don't really call upon my power," his inner Quincy explained.

"What should I call you then?" Ichigo wondered.

"Zangetsu,"

"Zangetsu," They both said at the exact same time.

The orange haired hollow sighed as he shook his head, "Alright, well here's the thing…I need more power. Tell me is there any way to achieve a second release?"

"To achieve a second release, you have to master Zangetsu," the hollow Zangetsu answered.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ichigo asked confused.

His question was immediately answered when his hollow and quincy selves each drew a single blade. He was quick to realize that they were each holding one of his swords.

Ichigo shook his head at them, "You've got to be kidding me…"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

YOOO! What's up kids and/or late adolescents-adults. (don't worry it's okay to be over twenty and read fanfiction). I finally updated again! Yay! Alright so I apologize about the long wait for this update, but I'm really busy getting my LPN right now, so I only really have time to write on the weekends. I made sure to prioritize this for you guys since it's been ages.

So hopefully it lived up to the hype. Anyways, now that my monthly excuse for late update is over, time to go over what we saw this chapter.

So we finally get some more insight into exactly what the Pit is and why Athena has never crossed paths with the new age Espada. The majority of this chapter was pretty much world/lore building and it delved considerably into Hueco Mundo. Soifon discovered that Hueco Mundo was split into separate landmasses and that they were divided by a deep pit like trench called the Abyssal Scar. Why is it called that? How was it created?

We also discovered a bit more about Ulquiorra's origin and he himself learned about the Outlands. How will the bat Alphas react when he returns with Ichigo…and what will they do when they encounter Soifon's new comrades?

Speaking of which…what does Athena want to show Soifon? What is the significance of sunlight in the Outlands? Feel free to speculate if you want. Some of you may be wondering why Athena was a phoenix, but I consider her and Arturo phoenixes which is why they were some of the strongest of the ancient hollows.

The grand spectacle of the chapter however was Ulquiorra achieving his Segunda Etapa. Let the rejoicing commence people…because he is only the first of many. Next chapter, will be about Ichigo getting his. Soon, all of the Espada will reach their second releases…and with Szayel preparing a bio-weapon, the hollows will be armed and ready for war. I hope you enjoyed it, and as always thanks for reading.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Legacy of the Forgotten King**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soifon, Hueco Mundo Outlands, Torre Del Sol XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As she followed Athena towards the tower, Soifon glanced back into the distance where the power surge had erupted from. She faced forward with a distraught look on her face and had a clear idea of whose power she was sensing. There was no doubt in her mind that is was Ulquiorra, White's right hand enforcer.

Soifon looked at Athena concerned, "Are you not going to investigate that power source back there?"

Athena shook her head in response, "No, it doesn't concern me at the moment. If what you told me is true, then perhaps it is the Omega returning to the Abyssal Scar. If that is indeed the case, then I would like to fall back for now."

"So what is it that you wanted to show me?" Soifon asked anxiously as she followed Athena towards the front of the massive, shimmering tower. The lavender haired hollow didn't answer right away as they passed through the large opening. As the four progressed inside Torre Del Sol, Soifon looked around incredulously.

The interior of the tower was far more luxurious and impressive than Las Noches in Soifon's opinion. Beautiful tapestries decorated the walls as well as statues of individual figures. They were all in a large circle and each one had a corresponding number engraved below on their bases.

In the center of them was a massive statue. Upon seeing the number 0 engraved beneath it, Soifon immediately realized that the statue was of Zangetsu. She stared at it curiously trying to get a good look at his features.

As she looked at the statue, Soifon couldn't help but notice some unusual things about it. Zangetsu seemed somehow familiar to her. She couldn't quite place it, due to the absence of color on the statues, but upon noticing the horned mask fragment, she felt her heart skip a beat.

'_That mask fragment…it looks remarkably similar to White's_,' the former Shinigami shook her head disbelievingly.

"What's wrong with you?" Yin asked Soifon confused by the shocked look on her face.

Soifon noticed Yin, Yang, and Athena all giving her curious looks.

The woman gave Athena a serious stare, "Is this…Zangetsu?"

"Yes…that was the true Hollow King," Athena said sadly. Soifon noticed the arrancar was avoiding looking directly at the statue. It was obvious that its likeness brought up sad memories for her.

"I remember the first time I came in here…I could barely believe these were all hollows. The Espada are paragons among our kind. Each a king or queen in their own right. Powerful lords each held together under a banner of unity. They look like gods don't they?" Yin spoke with admiration for the various statues.

"These hollows are all dead now?" Soifon asked as she looked around at some of the imposing looking arrancars.

Athena sighed, "Yes, unfortunately…I don't like to come through this entrance very often because it's a sad reminder of that fact. Nevertheless, I still come by and pay my respects to their memories every now and then."

"So who are all of these hollows? You mentioned you had a brother. Is he one of these?" Soifon asked as she looked around for Athena's sibling.

Athena immediately pointed at a statue with the number 2 inscribed on it, "There…that's my younger brother Arturo. He was the Segunda Espada. He went down fighting in Las Noches…"

"How strong were all of these Espada?" Soifon asked as she stared at Arturo's statue curiously.

"They matched the Gotei 13 in power…but unfortunately after Zangetsu's death, our ranks fell apart and we never recovered. Infighting is very common among hollows unless they have a strong leader. Sadly I doubt we would have won even had we rallied again. The Shinigami leaders were too powerful," the lavender haired arrancar answered.

"So why didn't you try to take command?" the former Shinigami wondered.

"It wouldn't have mattered even had I tried." Athena answered.

"But weren't you the Primera?" Soifon asked slowly.

Athena looked away, "It's not that simple…the numbers of the Espada do represent our power, but they are not beyond contestation. Besides, I wasn't really in a position to take command at that time, after Zangetsu's death."

"How did he die, exactly? You mentioned Captain Commander Yamamoto and Captain Unohana defeated him?" Soifon clarified.

The lavender haired hollow nodded, "Yes…as you might recall, I mentioned fleeing Las Noches from the Purge. That wasn't entirely the truth. I was actually trying to reach Zangetsu and help him. He lured the Shinigami away after they destroyed the Citadel and killed several Espada in their invasion. Arturo and the others stayed and fought rest of the Gotei 13."

"Why did you lie about that?" Soifon wondered confused.

Athena shrugged, "I wanted to make sure I could trust you first."

"So you saw what happened then? Exactly where was this battle?" Soifon asked inquisitively as if she was onto something.

Athena gave a knowing look and sighed, "I didn't see the battle, but I knew where it took place. You wondered about the Abyssal Scar…that's Zangetsu's grave. It came about in his battle against Yamamoto and Unohana. It used to be a mountain range. We called them the Twilight Mountains because they divided day and night in Hueco Mundo."

"What?! But how could a battle have turned a mountain range into a dark gorge like that?!" Soifon gawked.

"That's something I have been trying to discover myself for quite some time. I was nowhere near the battle whenever it happened, but I could sense it from leagues away as I attempted to reach Zangetsu. You can imagine my shock whenever I saw the aftermath of Zangetsu's battle. Many strange things happened that day. The moonlight faded, the Twilight Mountains imploded, and it was raining when I arrived," Athena answered.

"Raining? This place is a barren desert. Why would it be raining in Hueco Mundo? " Soifon wondered completely lost.

"Zangetsu had a strong affinity towards the moon. All of his powers were Lunar in nature. Among them he could manipulate gravity, control water, and absorb energy," Athena answered solemnly.

'_That sounds nothing like White's power…maybe it's just a coincidence that their mask fragments look so similar,_' Soifon thought to herself.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Soifon asked as she looked around the antechamber again.

Athena shook her head, "I was going to show you something else. Come with me."

As they left the antechamber, Soifon and the others followed Athena deeper into the palace before finally coming upon another large room.

Her eyes shot open with shock upon seeing what was inside. It was a gate…one she had seen several times before in her lifetime. Two skeletons embedded on it were wrapped in chains. There was no doubt in Soifon's mind that this was a Hell Gate.

She stared in complete disbelief at it, "Why is there a Hell Gate in this tower?"

"Torre Del Sol was built over this very Hell Gate. It's currently sealed shut…no need to be frightened," Athena replied.

"Why are you showing me this?" Soifon said somewhat frightened.

Before Athena could answer, Soifon heard the rattling of chains. Her heart skipped a beat as it was followed a cranking sound. The gates were opening. A wave of heat came her way causing Soifon to back away with fear.

"Why is it opening?!" Soifon said worried.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo's Mindscape XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Both halves of Zangetsu charged Ichigo from opposing angles with their weapons in hand. The hollow king immediately jumped back a safer distance and looked between the two of them seriously. He swung his unsealed white zanpakuto and double parried their opening strikes with the flat end of his blade.

As each half of Zangetsu advanced against him, Ichigo felt himself getting overpowered. The Hollow King growled at them annoyed, "I don't have time for this! I need to achieve a second release! Tell me what I have to do!"

Both halves of Zangetsu stopped momentarily and exchanged brief looks at one another. The dark haired one then stared at Ichigo, "Why do you need this power so badly anyways?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes at the question, "The answer to that should seem pretty obvious shouldn't it? How am I going to stand a chance against Yamamoto, Yhwach, or even the Soul King unless I have power to match them?! Everyone is counting on me…and I can't fail! If I don't do this, then who else can?!"

"Fancy yourself the hero huh? It's funny how skewed the lines between protector and conqueror can be. Although, I can't blame you…I am the same way. Born to be a king…and not a horse," the white haired one cut in.

"There is fire in your eyes Ichigo…but pride swells around you like a cloud of doom. You come demanding answers, and yet you are not ready to accept them. You are angry, brash, and inexperienced. Do you truly understand what you're asking for…and why you need power? You don't even know what your own power is." the dark haired Zangetsu stated.

"What would you have me do then? I can't afford to be unprepared when the time comes. If I fail, then everyone else fails. My friends…my family…they need me. Call that what you want, but my reasons for wanting power aren't selfish or misguided if that's what your concerned about," Ichigo answered.

The White haired Zangetsu gave him a blank stare, "That's not the problem. I don't think you fully understand us if you think something like that really matters here. The power you're after has nothing to do with your ambitions, motivations, or morality. You need to start asking the questions that really matter."

"What do you mean by 'Master Zangetsu?'" Ichigo wondered as he looked between them cautiously.

"We told you that the only way to achieve your true potential is to master Zangetsu. If you truly wish to do that, then you must be willing to accept Zangetsu as a part of who you are," the Quincy Zangetsu stated.

"Yeah but why is my Zanpakuto named after the first hollow king?" Ichigo asked as he looked between his two inner halves.

The hollow one shook his head at Ichigo as if the question was stupid, "If you're asking us that question, then you're not ready. Think for a moment before you speak…why would Zangetsu be my name?"

"I guess because you actually are Zangetsu." Ichigo responded slowly.

"You already knew the answer, but for some reason you have a difficult time accepting it. Why is that?" the hollow Zangetsu asked.

Ichigo shrugged, "I don't know…it's just weird considering that I know almost nothing about you. What's your connection to me?"

"Is it really that difficult to figure out?" the white haired spirit chuckled.

Just then, Ichigo thought about what Aizen had told him previously. A Zanpakuto was a part of its wielder's soul. All of the answers were buried somewhere deep within. Upon realizing this fact, he experienced brief flashes of the dream he had previously when facing the Gotei 13.

'_That wasn't just a dream…it was Zangetsu's memory. Why did I overlook that?!_' Ichigo thought anxiously.

He looked up at the pale hollow Zangetsu again, '_What happened then…how did he die?'_

Before Ichigo could even ask the questions, more flashes of Zangetsu's past came flooding through him. The dream he had previously from when the Gotei 13 was approaching him continued onward from where it left off. It skipped forward a considerable amount showing Ichigo flashes of the past. He saw Las Noches falling under siege before his mind finally focused on a particular memory.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo's Mindscape, Zangetsu's Memory XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Zangetsu stopped in his tracks after running a considerable distance away from the heat of the battle in Las Noches. The Hollow King looked up at the Twilight Mountains of Hueco Mundo momentarily as he awaited his pursuers to catch up.

Seconds later, two foes landed behind him. A brief, unusual silence passed as none of the three spoke a single word. Finally, Zangetsu turned around and looked between none other than Yamamoto and Unohana. The Shinigami captains looked roughed up, but otherwise unharmed.

"Why do you flee, hollow? I thought your kind knew no fear," Unohana spoke darkly as she gave the arrancar king a dangerous glare.

Zangetsu scoffed at her, "I wasn't running away…I was luring you out here. You fiends will not kill another one of my kind so long as I live. Hold nothing back, Shinigami, for I certainly will not."

"What you have done to Hueco Mundo goes against the balance of the six worlds. This gross disruption of the cycle of rebirth will only bring doom and chaos upon the natural order imposed by the Soul King himself," Yamamoto stated sternly.

"The cycle of rebirth is a concept only a Shinigami could find comfort in…because you're the ones that enforce it. It's easy for you justify your validation for control. Do you think I wasn't aware of that, Shinigami? I know how things work…and that's exactly why I want to change them. There will be no more cycles of suffering for me and my followers. I reshaped this desolate, barren world into a place of prosperity. I didn't need to be bound by your laws or your supposed balance. I will not exist as a starving beast, a suffering sinner, or a self-proclaimed god. Your assimilation of souls into this joke that you call balance is all one big lie. Your Soul King is the real enemy," Zangetsu said resoundingly.

"I knew you were lying when you said you wanted peace at that summit meeting. You've been stalling and building your forces for a long time. Had we not acted, your kind would have eventually attacked Seireitei. We are not fools!" Unohana said venomously.

Zangetsu gave her a nasty glare, "Evidently not…but you are shortsighted. I did want peace…because in truth I don't really resent your kind. You simply do what you're told by the gods above you. It was never my intention to start a war with the Soul Society. My enemy is only the Soul King."

"If you oppose the Soul King, then you oppose the Shinigami beneath him. You oppose existence itself. I'm pretty sure that makes you everyone's enemy. You cannot challenge the Soul King unless you go through us first!" Unohana said with a deadly resolve.

The hollow king frowned at her statement, "Is it truly righteousness that drives you? I wonder…how do you find purpose in such blind obedience? Does your dogma inhibit your ability to actually think? Have you ever stopped to ask why things are like this to begin with?"

"Our purpose may not be righteous, but it is necessary. The Soul King created everything…and to uphold his will is to know true meaning. What ridiculous delusions of grandeur have you imagined that could have possibly led you to believe that you have the right to change the way things are?!" Yamamoto countered.

"What possible purpose can you find in meaningless cycles of stasis? If you kill me and destroy what I've built, then nothing will change. Nothing will ever change! My will manifested through my hollow form and it made me into an arrancar, because I realized something important. Our destinies and our realities are shaped by our own wills! I and those who choose to follow me will not be bound by an existence that is without meaning or purpose! We will not live as slaves in this oppressive existence!" Zangetsu shouted furiously.

"Hmph…and through your will you have become an abomination. You defy the Soul King in a petty pursuit for self-importance. You see nothing beyond your own vision of rebellion. Even if by some impossible chance you were able to achieve this goal, then what? All you would succeed in doing is destroying everything. A flawed existence is better than none at all…wouldn't you say?" Unohana added.

Zangetsu shook his head at the two Shinigami, "I'd rather die for the pursuit of a greater meaning than live as an indoctrinated slave of the Soul King. You two have no idea just how foolish you are for serving him. But I suppose that can't be helped. We've spoken enough, and you two are clearly beyond reasoning with. You've also spilled too much blood for me to truly forgive you. Only your deaths or mine will put an end to this conflict."

"So be it," Yamamoto growled as he drew his Zanpakuto.

Unohana did the same as she drew her blade, "Bankai."

Minazuki slowly turned blood red as a strange acidic looking substance began to drip off the blade. What appeared to be a corrosive red acid was actually blood. Zangetsu gripped his blade tightly as he sized the woman's bankai up.

"Burn all creation to ash, Ryujinjakka!" Yamamoto shouted as he released his shikai. The blade quickly erupted into flames, and it didn't take long for the temperature to increase drastically. Fires began to spread around them in all directions shortly afterward.

They both stared down Zangetsu with furious expressions. Unohana had a somewhat sadistic attitude, but Yamamoto appeared more serious than anything. As he examined his enemies for a brief moment, the arrancar finally drew his Zanpakuto

"The two strongest Shinigami against the King of the Hollows. What a showdown this will be. I guess you two will be the first Shinigami to ever see my Resurreccion. Rain…Lunaryu." Zangetsu spoke eerily as he held up his Zanpakuto.

Unohana and Yamamoto visibly tensed as a surge of unbelievable power erupted from Zangetsu's release. Much to their utter astonishment, it began to rain shortly afterward. The raindrops were fast and heavy, and they immediately began to counteract the intense heat created from Yamamoto's shikai.

After the blinding light subsided, Yamamoto and Unohana both widened their gazes as they looked upon Zangetsu's release form. It was a form unlike anything they had ever seen before. Zangetsu had long, ghost-white hair and was covered head to toe in what appeared to be white draconic armor. His mask greatly resembled Ichigo's, but it was black with white stripes. Wings extended from the back as well as a draconic looking tail.

The Hollow King growled at them as he held up a single, massive blade. It was shaped in the form of a crescent and glowed white with an unnatural brightness. Clouds began to form around the sky, but they left the moon uncovered. The celestial body itself appeared as if it was glowing brighter as well. Through its opening in the sky, the moonlight illuminated the rain.

"It's raining? He has water powers?" Unohana said surprised as she exchanged a brief look of disbelief with Yamamoto.

Zangetsu held up his crescent blade which appeared to gather the surrounding water within it. He immediately swung his weapon unleashing a torrential surge of water against the two Shinigami. Yamamoto was quick to counter as he created more flames and amplified their heat.

The two elements collided unleashing a massive bout of steam. The sand from the surrounding area began to get muddy and soaked as water washed across the horizon, but it was quickly glassed as Yamamoto's flames increased in intensity.

Zangetsu growled as Yamamoto's flames gained the edge and repelled his water blast. The Shinigami leader was now surrounded in an inferno, but his flames were obviously not as large as they would have been had it not been raining.

"Did you forget about me?" Unohana asked as she appeared behind Zangetsu with her blade held to his back.

Her question was immediately answered as the Hollow king's tail grabbed around her ankle holding her in place. She narrowly brought Minazuki up in time to brace Zangetsu's heavy spinning swing. The oozing acidic blood from her bankai flew off her blade as she flicked it at Zangetsu's body. It quickly began to do its work as it seared several spots in his armor.

He regenerated swiftly, but it was obvious the acid did quite a bit of damage judging by the pained expression on Zangetsu's face.

'_I'm guessing Zangetsu dies in this battle. But how would that make him part of my Zanpakuto?_' Ichigo thought as he watched this memory continue to unfold.

'_**The two of them were too powerful for me to defeat together. This was a futile battle,' **_Zangetsu's voice sounded in Ichigo's mind as he watched the battle continue.

The hollow king battled against the two Shinigami for a considerable amount of time. Ichigo couldn't help but feel surprised at how well the Shinigami were holding their own. Despite Zangetsu's impressive Resurreccion, he wasn't really making any progress against the Shinigami.

'_**Pay close attention to this part, Ichigo…' **_Zangetsu's voice sounded again.

Yamamoto and Unohana panted heavily as they ceased their assault. The woman looked towards Yamamoto with a serious face, "We need to do something about this rain…it's diluting my bankai's powers and he's healing faster than we can really do damage."

Yamamoto's fire was starting to dwindle ever so slightly the longer he remained still. There was definitely something unusual about Zangetsu's power that had the Shinigami leader concerned. He looked up at the sky for a moment curiously, "Where are those clouds coming from?"

"You two aren't putting up quite the fight I was expecting," Zangetsu said loudly over the heavy rainfall.

"His powers must have something to do with the moon…we need to stop whatever it's doing," Unohana stated urgently.

"Are you feeling heavy yet?" Zangetsu asked as he looked between his foes.

"What are you talking about-" Unohana immediately felt the gravity around them intensify dramatically.

The added gravity made the rain fall even faster, which also negated Yamamoto's fire a considerable amount more. The head captain clutched his zanpakuto even tighter as he tried to reignite the landscape. So far it was proving quite futile.

Without warning, Unohana swung her zanpakuto in a large arc flinging what appeared to be some type of gas off the blade. It was quick to form a cloud overhead blocking the moonlight. With its light obscured, the only things that could clearly be seen were Yamamoto's flames and Zangetsu's shining form.

Zangetsu watched uncertainly as the gaseous cloud began to heavily disperse mixing in with his own. Shortly afterward, it began to rain acidic blood from the skies. Yamamoto stood back and warded it off with fire, as he waited for Unohana to finish her plan.

"What is this?" Zangetsu asked as the blood red drops began to sear his armor. His moment of distraction alleviated the intensified gravity which allowed for Yamamoto to move in for a follow up of attacks.

'_How long is this battle anyways?_' Ichigo wondered as he watched them continue for what he assumed was several minutes. The battle was bloody and intense, and to his surprise, Unohana and Yamamoto always had a way to counter Zangetsu's abilities.

Part of him wondered how well the Hollow King would have fared against them one on one. Finally, after another pause in battle, Zangetsu panted heavily, "You two are certainly living up to your reputation now. Sadly, I cannot allow you to win!"

With a heavy swing, Zangetsu cleared Unohana's acidic clouds revealing the moon once again. His body was heavily burned and many portions of his armor had melted off. In spite of this, he was still holding up well against his foes. Zangetsu pointed his blade towards the moon causing it to glow much brighter than before. The gravity intensified to nearly unmanageable levels forcing everyone back to the ground.

His opponents were still on their feet, but they were clearly struggling as hard as they could to not kneel down. "The moon is empowering him somehow! We need to do something about it!" Unohana repeated once again.

"This has gone on long enough! Your reign ends today, Hollow King! Zanka no Tachi East!" Yamamoto exclaimed strongly as all of the surrounding flames began to disappear. Moments later, Zangetsu felt a wave of incredibly overwhelming heat. It immediately dissolved all of the rain in the sky and dissipated the remaining clouds.

Zangetsu stared with shock at the reveal of Yamamoto's bankai. The Shinigami leader held the smoldering dark blade to his side staring the Hollow King down with hatred. Even from where he stood, Zangetsu could see the waves of heat radiating off of the bankai.

"Stand back, Unohana…I will finish him off," Yamamoto commanded. The woman reluctantly nodded as she backed a considerable distance away from the intense heat. Judging by her reaction, Zangetsu could tell that the bankai of the Shinigami leader was definitely a serious deal.

With as much spiritual energy as he could muster, Zangetsu attempted to counteract the ridiculously high temperature by creating more rain. This time it fell with quadruple the volume as it worked to cool down the environment. Swinging his blade in spiraling motions, the Hollow King managed to create a shield of water between himself and Yamamoto.

"Zanka no Tachi West!" Yamamoto followed up. His body immediately erupted into flames creating a flaming cloak around his form.

Without warning, the Shinigami flew in like a meteor swinging straight for Zangetsu. The surrounding water immediately moved with unnatural speed as it formed around the edge of Zangetsu's crescent blade. In mere fractions of a second, the gathered water formed, collided, and dispersed everywhere in repeating fashion as their blades rapidly clashed back and forth.

Yamamoto seemed genuinely surprised that Zangetsu was holding his own against the monstrously powerful bankai. He was even more surprised that the water wasn't evaporating as quickly as it should have been.

Their exchange continued briefly until the hollow finally backed off. He quickly amplified the water volume during his moment of respite. He was using up a lot of spiritual power to maintain the rain and heavy gravity, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was saving him from being overwhelmed by Yamamoto's bankai.

With a heavy swing, Yamamoto attempted to send a wave of intense heat, but was surprised when it didn't seem to reach his enemy. The bearded man cocked his head in confusion, but quickly realized that the gravity was increasing even more. Yamamoto attempted to send another long range bout of heat, but it failed once again. The gravity was so strong now, that it grounded any long range attacks immediately.

"Come and get me, Shinigami!" Zangetsu taunted as he made a taunting gesture. Yamamoto wasted no time listening to the taunt as he charged in for another close range exchange. Due to the high gravity, he couldn't move quite as fast. During his approach, he saw a huge white glow radiating from Zangetsu's non sword hand.

"Cero Blanco!" Zangetsu howled once Yamamoto was in close range. The point blank cero blasted the Shinigami a considerable distance away. Holding up his blade, Yamamoto struggled as it continued to push him back. From a distance, Zangetsu was continuing to fire the beam which only continued to grow in size.

During this time, Unohana rushed in delivering a quick cheap shot from behind. Zangetsu instantly ceased his attack as he swung around attempting to behead the woman. She swiftly blocked his swing with her own blade, and followed up by covering the area he was standing in with acid.

As Zangetsu was forced to retreat back, Yamamoto finally managed to slice his cero in half sending both waves off into the distance. Unohana's acid was beginning to melt off additional portions of the hollow's armor and skin now. She was about to move in for continued pressure, but backed off again when she saw Yamamoto returning.

Zangetsu looked at several of his injuries with a pained face, before facing the approaching Yamamoto. He was doing his best to keep the gravity at its high levels, but that negated his ability to fully regenerate. "You just don't quit, do you?" Zangetsu said annoyed as he looked between Yamamoto and the retreating Unohana.

"Zanka no Tachi South!" Yamamoto shouted as he continued with his bankai's power. Flaming skeletons began to form from what appeared to be a blanket of ash surrounding the landscape. Zangetsu's eyes widened in shock as they rose from the ground.

Zangetsu backed away with a distraught look on his face, "How many powers does this bankai of yours even have?!"

The menacing undead army began to slowly advance towards the hollow king as Yamamoto stood back catching his breath. Yamamoto gestured for his newly summoned army to move in and wear the Hollow King down. They each jumped in one by one to deliver any kind of damage they could. Zangetsu released the intense gravity finally and decided to jump into the air. He flew slightly higher to avoid the army and glared at Yamamoto.

Ichigo could barely believe how crazy this battle was, '_That's the Captain Commander's bankai?! How the hell does anyone deal with something like that?_'

Despite the relief in gravity, there appeared to be a shift in its direction as all of the nearby rain and even light began to gather at a single point. The Captain Commander looked up and noticed all of it was gathering around the fully charged free hand of Zangetsu.

"Cero Illuvia!" Zangetsu roared as he fired the cero into the air and charged the sky. Shortly afterward, it began to rain watery ceros. This attack was devastating against many of Yamamoto's skeletons, and even managed to deal a significant amount of damage to head captain himself.

After the attack subsided, Zangetsu landed again as he attempted to catch his breath. He was beginning to reach his limit in this battle, and he still had Unohana to deal with as well. Looking up at the moon for a brief moment, the hollow king sighed, "Forgive me, but I need more power."

The very light from the moon started to fade as it gathered around Zangetsu's blade into a shimmering coat. A shadow began to eclipse the full moon from its edge and slowly grew in size. As the shadow on the moon grew, the light around Zangetsu increased. Unohana looked up at the sky and noticed it darkening. She wasted no time moving in to stop the Hollow from charging more power.

Zangetsu was interrupted by her intervention, which left the moon in a crescent glow. Unohana furiously hacked away at him keeping him from continuing.

Yamamoto was quick to figure out why she intervened and sighed heavily as he held his blade up, "Zanka no Tachi North!"

A massive bout of flaming power gathered around his sword as it charged to full power. Unohana immediately backed off when she saw Yamamoto about to swing.

With a mighty swing of his blade, Yamamoto unleashed a colossal arc of flaming energy towards the unsuspecting hollow king. Zangetsu tried to dodge it, as he flew up, but the wave was so large, that it was actually impossible to avoid. Knowing he had no choice but to face it head on, he took a deep breath. Time seemed to slow down as the encroaching energy blast got closer.

"I guess there's only one option left…" Zangetsu said to himself as he looked down.

When Zanka no Tachi North finally got in range, Zangetsu redirected the blast with his charged blade and forced it downward towards the Twilight Mountains. They were completely demolished by the attack as the two spiritual energies engulfed them in a devastating series of explosions and blinding infernos. As the mountains crumbled, an earthquake shook the entire landscape of Hueco Mundo.

Zanka no Tachi dissipated afterward, causing the heat levels to drop to a normal range. With his bankai now exhausted, Yamamoto returned to his normal state. When it was safe to move in closer, Unohana approached Yamamoto with a look of anxious concern, "Do you think that got him? I don't sense his spiritual energy."

"Let's make sure he's dead," the man stated seriously between heavy breaths.

Zangetsu was nearly out of spiritual energy now as he felt his Resurreccion about to dissipate. He looked at his blade which was now beginning to lose its light. Struggling to stand up, he looked up at the moon and tried to gather more power from it. The shadow on it grew slightly larger as he charged more power.

Sensing him finally, Yamamoto and Unohana quickly locked on to his position. The two traded shocked expressions when they confirmed that Zangetsu was still alive.

"He's trying to gather more power…allow me to handle this, sir," Unohana said as she swiftly moved in and cut off Zangetsu's sword arm.

Despite losing his arm, Zangetsu immediately retrieved his sword with the other hand as he dodged a follow up of attacks. Sadly, he wasn't able maintain his footing and soon fell to his knees. His power was almost completely exhausted now.

Yamamoto stepped forward and looked down at the kneeling, now armless hollow king. He shook his head in disgust, "It's quite remarkable that Zanka no Tachi North didn't kill you…but you're done for nonetheless."

"I'm not done yet!" Zangetsu growled as he jumped up again. Yamamoto quickly reacted by punching him in the head, shattering off most of his mask. Zangetsu's pride was the only thing keeping him standing now.

With an angered face, Yamamoto grabbed the hollow by the throat and forced him back to his knees. The two exchanged hateful glares before Yamamoto spoke again, "I want you to remember this feeling as you die on your knees, hollow. Maybe it will remind to know your place!"

Zangetsu looked up at him disgusted, "My name is Zangetsu…not hollow!"

"Your name means nothing. It will be stricken from history and erased," the man stated callously.

"You may have beaten me, but you will never get that satisfaction of destroying my legacy…" Zangetsu said bitterly as he jabbed his blade through Yamamoto's leg kicking himself free. Unohana immediately moved in to guard Yamamoto, but much to her surprise, Zangetsu turned around.

The hollow king stood up as quickly as possible threw his blade into the remnants of the Twilight Mountains. His action seemed strange to the Shinigami leaders, as they watched the shimmering white blade fly into the distance.

"Why would you throw your weapon away?" Yamamoto asked confused.

His question was instantly answered when the remainder of the Twilight Mountains all began to implode into a massive chasm. Another earthquake shook the land as the remainder of Zangetsu's power created a gaping, Abyssal Scar.

Turning back around, Zangetsu dropped to a knee again, wheezing in pain. His resurreccion finally dissipated revealing him to be in a very critical condition. Blood was profusely leaking from many of his injuries, bruises were everywhere, and burns covered most of his body.

Zangetsu looked back up at the moon with a frown on his face, "Sorry your light had to be wasted for nothing."

"What the hell are you talking about, hollow?!" Unohana demanded.

Moments later rain began to fall from the sky in spite of all that had happened. Zangetsu continued to stare at the moon shamefully before finally acknowledging Unohana's question, "At least some of it was spared."

"Put this creature out of its misery," Yamamoto said between his heavy breaths as he applied direct pressure to his leg. Zangetsu's thrust managed to damage Yamamoto's femoral artery and it was bleeding quite heavily. Unohana nodded as she brought her blade up ready to deliver an execution.

"Any last words, hollow, before I send you to Hell?" Unohana asked.

"One day you will fear the rain," was all Zangetsu said as he began to glow brighter. Before Unohana had a chance to execute him, a blinding explosion followed his last words. Light dissipated everywhere shortly afterward. When it finished, there was no trace of Zangetsu anywhere. After his death, Ichigo felt his senses return back to his inner world.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo's Mindscape XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo blinked hard several times, finally feeling himself back in front of both Zangetsus. He looked at them uncertainly for a long silent moment.

Finally Ichigo looked at the White haired Zangetsu confused, "What happened after that battle though? That still doesn't explain how you became my Zanpakuto. And what did you mean by '_One day you will fear the rain_?'"

"You're still asking questions that you already know the answers to?" the hollow Zangetsu said with a grin.

Ichigo looked down for a moment deep in thought, "Did you find a way to preserve yourself so that you could be reborn again one day?"

"Yes…though to be honest, I am not entirely sure about how I ended up a Vasto Lorde again. I have memories of fighting your father and mother. They managed to kill my new body, but the remaining fragment of my soul attached to your Quincy mother, Masaki Kurosaki. Since hollows are poisonous to Quincies, she nearly died, but your father poured his own spiritual power into her in order to counteract the effect. The result was he lost his Shinigami powers and your mother lived. They thought I was destroyed in the process…but I wasn't. My soul attached to yours when you were born…and you essentially became my reincarnation. Though you have much more power than I ever did since you possess your father's Shinigami powers and your mother's Quincy blood," the white haired Zangetsu explained.

The look on Ichigo's face was one of disbelief, "This is crazy…so then I'm literally you?"

"In a sense…yes," the hollow nodded.

Before Ichigo could question him further, his inner Quincy spoke up, "More answers will come with time…but for now, you understand enough about who Zangetsu the hollow king is."

"Come to think of it, I don't really know anything about you either…or even Quincies in general. How are you a part of me as well?" Ichigo said to his dark haired Zanpakuto spirit.

"All Quincies possess a fragment of Yhwach within their souls…that's what I am," the dark haired Zangetsu said.

"A part of Yhwach…inside of me? That seems like it could be a problem," Ichigo realized.

"Normally it would be. As a fragment of Yhwach, it is in my nature to inhibit your Shinigami and Hollow powers. However, due to the nature of your situation, I am in a way…contaminated. Perhaps free would be a better word. I am not your enemy," the Quincy elaborated.

"I see…so then how do I use my Quincy powers?" Ichigo said slowly.

The Quincy Zangetsu looked over at the Hollow Zangetsu, "Remember that your Shinigami power maintains the coexistence of your Hollow and Quincy parts. To truly access both at the same time, you have to pour all of your Shinigami energy into both at once, and bring them together. Think of it as your Shinigami power chaining both sides. If you wrap the chain around both and drag them together then they will eventually be forced closer and bound as one."

Upon hearing that explanation, Ichigo's eyes widened in revelation, "I get it now…just like that time with Aizen. So then, I just have to bind you two together?"

Shortly after realizing this, Ichigo began to channel his blackened red Shinigami power around the two Zanpakuto spirits. Hollow Zangetsu glowed red white and black while the Quincy Zangetsu glowed black and blue. As Ichigo's power wrapped around them, it took the shape of a chain pulling both of them closer together. Ichigo's entire inner world began to shake as they were brought closer together.

The closer they got, the more intense the spiritual energy became. It swirled around Ichigo's inner world like a hurricane. In this distance, he could see red, blue, white, and black all chaotically twisting closer together as it made its way into his bound Zanpakuto spirits.

After the chaotic powers all finally combined, Ichigo saw something shocking. The two Zangetsus were now one. His body was divided down the middle very much like the first time Ichigo saw him. As Zangetsu looked at Ichigo, it began to rain heavily.

Ichigo stared at Zangetsu uncertainly, "Did I do it? What now?"

The two locked gazes for a brief moment before Zangetsu spoke, "You're one step closer, but there is no avoiding what comes next. If a second form is truly what you seek, then it requires one more thing."

Much to his shock, Zangetsu began to transform even further. His hair grew much longer and turned completely black. It as well as the black shroud covering his body began radiate a mixture of red, blue, and white auras. A hollow mask formed, but immediately afterward, the entire upper half of Zangetsu's mask flaked off. The only part of the mask that remained were the two white horns and the lower portion that covered the mouth. The remaining mouth cover of the mask had red stripes similar to that of Ichigo's mask.

Zangetsu's chest, neck, and right arm were all covered in dark bandages now, and through their various openings, a blue glow from tribal markings could be seen converging into the center of his chest where the hollow hole was. From his back, extended two massive wings. They appeared to be made out of complete reishi and shared a similar color to his black form, but were remarkably colorful with the added red, blue, and white auras. Beneath the wings, Ichigo spotted a dragon like tail as well. It matched the wings in color and composition.

Holding up each arm to his side, Zangetsu formed two blades of pure spiritual energy in hand. One was a blue and black but the other was red white and black. It didn't take Ichigo long to realize what the different colors meant. The bluish black blade was some type of corrupted Quincy reishi, and the red white and black was purely hollow and Shinigami in nature.

Ichigo could do nothing but stare in complete awe at this immaculate amalgamation of power. This being was the most incredible thing he had ever seen before, but to his utter astonishment, he couldn't even sense Zangetsu's power.

"This is my true power, Ichigo…the power you seek," Zangetsu finally said after noticing Ichigo's disbelief.

"What now?" was all the arrancar could ask.

"It's not over yet," Zangetsu answered as he advanced. Without even bothering to explain, Zangetsu swung his blue blade at Ichigo, "Heilig Getsuga Tenshou!"

Ichigo moved as fast as he could to dodge the attack and saw it cut down everything in the landscape of his mind. He turned back towards his Zanpakuto spirit with utter disbelief, "What the hell was that?!"

"Prove that you want this power, Ichigo…and it's yours," was all Zangetsu said as he stared Ichigo down. In addition to his incredible metamorphosis, Zangetsu now had red irises within blackened sclera.

Ichigo took a deep breath and nodded, "If that's what it takes, then I'll prove it to you! Protect, Zangetsu!"

A flash of light and an eruption of power followed as Ichigo released his power. Now in his Resurreccion form, Ichigo stared his opponent down with deadly resolve, '_It all comes down to this. I have to find a way to defeat him._'

"Getsuryu!" Zangetsu shouted as he swung his red blade. It unleashed a titanic red black and white blast that took the form of a dragon. The beast flew at him with its jaw open wide.

"Getsuga Jujisho!" Ichigo countered immediately. He wasn't even about to hold back given the size of the attack. Despite the use of both of his swords, he still had an incredibly difficult time canceling out Zangetsu's attack.

After the blast subsided, Ichigo shook his head disbelievingly, '_He's on a completely different level than me…that was just one blade. It took both of mine to stop his attack. If that's any indication to his strength, then he's probably twice as strong as I am at the minimum. Think Ichigo…this isn't a fight you can brute force your way through._'

"You can't defeat me, Ichigo…" Zangetsu said with a sigh.

"No! I didn't go through all of this just to fail! I'll make you give me my power!" Ichigo retorted with fury as he charged in to attack Zangetsu. The Zanpakuto spirit effortlessly parried his opening swings and kicked Ichigo back.

Before he had a chance to react, the winged Zangetsu flew past him and snatched him mid air, by the throat. He held Ichigo up and sighed as they locked gazes once again, "Why are you fighting this?"

"You're the one that attacked me!" Ichigo growled as he kicked himself free. The hollow king proceeded to move back as he held both of his arms up, "Gran Rey Cero Oscuras!"

A white red and black cero converged from his two hands as it fired towards Zangetsu. Before it could even reach him, Zangetsu crossed both of his swords together, "Getsuga Jujisho!"

The use of both of his blades was completely overwhelming towards Ichigo's attack and it proceeded to literally cripple his resurreccion. After the blast subsided, Zangetsu landed on the water covered ground. It His entire mindscape was covered in knee deep mud now. Zangetsu looked down at Ichigo, who was slumped over in a defeated stance.

Despite his resurreccion being gone, Ichigo still managed to stand up. His body was covered in serious burns and cuts, and he himself was on the verge of death it seemed. He looked at Zangetsu for a long moment, '_The power gap between us is too great…nothing I do is even affecting him. That's the power I need to save my family and friends…to kill Yhwach and the Soul King. Something I don't understand is why I have to fight him if he's the manifestation of all of my powers? Shouldn't I have access to my own power?_'

"I attacked you so that you would realize something important. Your greatest enemy is yourself." Zangetsu said calmly.

'_Why am I fighting myself?_' Ichigo thought.

Upon thinking this very thought, his eyes widened as an epiphany hit. Though Ichigo couldn't see it, Zangetsu smiled sadly, "You understand now, Ichigo."

As he finally lowered his guard, Ichigo felt a chain link between him and Zangetsu, drawing them closer. Bandages, spiritual power, and chains surrounded the two as they finally were bound together. An awakening of power coursed throughout Ichigo's entire body. He could feel his senses fleeting which indicated he was probably leaving his inner world.

Before he was gone, he heard Zangetsu's voice echoing, "Protect your friends, and the legacy of the forgotten king. I will always be here to guide you Ichigo, for we are one."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Upon returning to reality, Ichigo opened his eyes. He found himself back in Hueco Mundo in his new form. Ichigo looked at his clawed, bandaged arms with amazement. "This is my Segunda Etapa…" Ichigo said to himself. His power felt overwhelming. He looked around in every direction wondering if anyone was sensing him right now.

He immediately locked on to Nel's spiritual signature not too far away and made his way towards her. It didn't take him long to track his Espada friend down. With unbelievable speed, he appeared in front of her. She was currently in her Resurreccion form charging for a rock formation.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed Ichigo in front of her. Nel gasped in shock, "What the?! Who are you? I didn't even sense you?!"

"You didn't?" Ichigo asked surprised as he took a step closer. Nel fearfully backed away from this terrifyingly beautiful creature.

She held up her lance, "Answer me! Who are you?!"

"Calm down, Nel…it's me, Ichigo," the arrancar said calmly.

Upon looking more closely at his horns, and other features, Nel gasped, "Is that…really you, Ichigo? I can't even sense your power!"

"That's unusual. I might see if Aizen knows anything about that," Ichigo said more to himself.

Nel simply stared somewhat awestruck at his form, "Did you…achieve Segunda Etapa?"

"Yes, you're the first person to officially see it. I finally achieved my second release," Ichigo announced.

The turquoise haired beauty beamed with amazement at Ichigo's form, "That's incredible news! How though? I've been training for the past day, and I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. My power just feels capped."

"I'll tell you what I did…but I'd rather get some of the others first so I don't have to explain it a dozen times. I think Starrk, Barragan, and Harribel are out here training somewhere. We might as well find them while we're all out here," Ichigo replied.

Nel nodded, "Let's go find them then. I'm eager to find out what you did!"

Without another word, she followed Ichigo who was quickly beginning to lock onto the big three.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Further out in the Desert, Barragan, Starrk, and Harribel XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Harribel watched lazily as Starrk and Barragan continued on with another round of sparring in their resurreccion forms. She learned a lot about the two of them and their new arrancar powers during the past day. Barragan's miasma power from when he was a Vasto Lorde had evolved into a terrifying ability called Respira. It aged and inevitably killed anything it touched. Having seen it in action, she had a feeling that it would be an incredibly useful ability in the wars to come.

This power would definitely have the ability to wipe out any hollow below the upper Espada with ease. That combined with Barragan's monstrous levels of Reiatsu made her realize why he was in fact the Primera. That being said, Starrk's colossal level of Reiatsu matched it, and his cero barrage did wonders to keep the Respira at bay.

Lilynette's voice came out of Starrk's gun after a ceasefire, "Alright, I think I've had enough of trying to one up him. The old guy is definitely a monster."

"It's kind of refreshing fighting somebody who doesn't die right away. Good duel, Barragan," Starrk said with a faint smile.

"Likewise, Segunda…your defense and offense are both intertwined. It would be very difficult for any opponent to match your onslaught. Though you do lack a will to kill. That hesitation could easily get you killed yourself. Always take your battles seriously, Coyote Starrk…lest an enemy takes advantage of that weakness," Barragan stated.

Starrk rolled his uncovered eye, "Yeah yeah…I know."

"He's right Starrk! You need some more of my killer instinct!" Lilynette piped up.

The man simply shrugged as he ignored her comment, "If you don't mind me saying, Barragan, I think you have the opposite problem. You're too reckless and arrogant. There's a couple times I easily baited you into traps. You tanked way too many of my shots when you honestly didn't even have to. It's always better to dodge something even if you know it won't do serious damage. A weaker opponent could still kill you if you let them outsmart you. That kind of flaw could also be exploited in a death match."

"Interesting advice…" was all Barragan said in response as he looked down in reflective grumpiness.

"Let's duel Harribel again!" Lilynette said energetically from Starrk's gun.

The blonde espada shook her head, "I don't really see the point of doing another round, to be honest. We've been at this for a while now, and aren't really getting anywhere. We need to sit down and just talk for a bit about how to actually go about unlocking a second level of power."

"I agree…we have definitely gained all the combat experience and practice with our current abilities that we can for now. We need a clear direction about where to go before continuing onward," Barragan agreed.

He and Starrk both receded their resurreccions and sat down next to Harribel. As they all exchanged looks with one another, none of them had any way to really start a new conversation. All of them had been working hard but to no avail it seemed.

Finally, Lilynette couldn't take the awkward silence any longer and spoke up, "So, none of you have any clue about what else to do?"

"Honestly I don't…unless we get some kind of direction as to what a second release even is, then I have no idea what to do," Harribel stated.

Before Starrk or Barragan could add any input, they sensed Nel approaching. The four turned their gaze towards the approaching Espada, who was in her base form. What surprised them however, was the figure escorting her. Upon reaching the upper espada, Nel and Ichigo stopped in their tracks. Barragan, Starrk, and Harribel all stood up and stared Ichigo down with disbelief.

"Nel, who is that?" Starrk asked curiously as he examined the fearsome, but unusual looking hollow.

"It's Ichigo…" she answered. Nel decided it was probably best to let Ichigo explain the situation, so she remained silent afterward.

"You…achieved a second form?!" Harribel gawked in utter astonishment.

Barragan's jaw dropped low as he looked up and down, "Why can't we sense your power?"

"I don't know, but that doesn't really matter right now. I found out how to achieve Segunda Etapa. It's like Aizen said…our Zanpakutos are a part of us. You have to become one with your Zanapkuto if that makes sense," Ichigo explained.

"How do we do that?" Harribel asked confused.

Ichigo shook his head, "It's difficult to explain…you have to talk to your Zanpakuto in your inner soul. It's a part of who you are…you need to embrace it."

"Really?! That's what it takes?" Nel gasped in amazement.

"That's certainly an important revelation…I never would have thought of that to be honest," Harribel added.

"How would we communicate with our Zanpakutos in such a way?" Barragan wondered.

"That's something you'll all have to figure out on your own. I'm sure it's different for everyone," Ichigo answered.

"So wait…you are saying that we have to become our Zanpakutos? How does that work for me exactly? I don't really have one like the rest of you…" Starrk stated seriously.

Harribel shook her head and pointed at Lilynette, "You do though…what about her? She's a part of your power isn't she?"

"I suppose so…" Starrk said as he looked at his fraccion uncertainly.

Lilynette gawked at him, "What are you saying!?"

"This is definitely something to reflect on," Starrk said distantly without answering her question.

Barragan's good eye opened considerably as he stared at Ichigo, "So you became one with your Zanpakuto? With Zangetsu?! Did you ever discover why your Zanpakuto was named after him?"

"Yes…because I'm Zangetsu reborn," Ichigo replied calmly.

Much to Harribel and Starrk's complete disbelief, Barragan actually cracked a grin, "You truly were fit to become King it seems. Zangetsu reborn…hahaha!"

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Harribel asked.

"White's Zanpakuto is named after the first hollow king…according to my predecessor, Arturo, Zangetsu was the very first arrancar. I don't believe in fate or destiny…but something like this is surely a prophecy coming full circle," Barragan answered.

"Wait a minute…what's this about a first arrancar and hollow king?" Harribel asked.

Ichigo finally receded his form and returned to normal. He walked over towards the upper three Espada and sighed, "Everyone take a seat…Barragan and I will explain everything."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karin, Soul Society XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Karin's time with the Shibas thus far had proven quite taxing to say the least. Kukaku and Ganju were an animated, energetic pair that always kept her on her toes. Lately, she had been working hard with her shikai in the hopes of improving as a Shinigami.

Rukia had been overseeing her training for the last few days, and was proving to be quite a blessing in her opinion. Unlike the obnoxious teachers and immature students she dealt with in the Shinigami Academy, her personalized training with a lieutenant was much more beneficial.

The raven haired Rukia shook her head at Karin's aggressive cleaves which sent off various waves of energy.

"You're never going take down a high level hollow without a better control of your power. Do you even know what your Shikai is capable of doing? You have a good handle on it physically, but those energy beams aren't really useful unless they are refined into specific abilities," Rukia explained.

Karin stopped what she was doing and sighed, "Well what should I do then?"

Before Rukia could answer the question, Kisuke Urahara's voice interrupted them, "You should probably learn how to use Getsugas like your father. Those beam attacks look a lot like his."

"Captain Urahara?" Rukia said surprised by the man's arrival. Next to him was none other than Yoruichi. They both had serious faces as they approached.

"What are you two doing out here?" Kukaku half-demanded as she made her way over from a nearby perch.

Kisuke had a calm, distant look on his face as he answered, "Well, that's complicated. We were actually wondering if you could help us out with something…"

"Really? What kind of help could I possibly offer you two?" Kukaku asked as she looked between Yoruichi and Kisuke.

"I have a message that I would like for you to deliver to the Zero Squad…" Urahara stated grimly.

Kukaku's eyes shot open with shock, "Are you kidding me?! Why would I do that?!"

"What's the Zero Squad?" Karin asked confused.

Rukia was quick to answer for her, "They're the Shinigami that protect the Soul King."

"Soul King?" Karin cocked her head.

Yoruichi looked at Urahara before facing Kukaku again, "We'd prefer if you kept this on the down low. The other Gotei 13 members are too proud to ask them for help…but given the situation, we felt that they should be contacted."

"I see…we'll discuss this more in private. Come on inside," Kukaku gestured for them to follow.

Rukia stared at the trio heading inside with utter shock. She was only brought out of her stupor by Karin's voice.

"What's going on, Rukia?" Karin asked concerned.

The raven haired woman shook her head, "I don't know…but if they're sending a message to the zero squad, then that means they doubt the Gotei 13's ability to stop the inevitable Hollow Invasion."

"Can you teach me Kido? I would like to learn it," Karin changed the subject. She wasn't really in the mood to worry about what was going on. Training was a good distraction from her ever growing list of concerns.

Rukia snapped back to reality and nodded, "Of course…I'll find out what's going on later."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

I think I received like three dozen PM's about when I was going to update. Jeez…lol, I'm glad you guys like the story, but some of you were fiending for an update it seems. Granted it's been well over 3 months so you definitely have a reason to feel frustrated or anxious. With that being said, I finally managed to sacrifice enough time and effort into putting this out. So with that being said, let's move on to the chapter commentary.

So there's a Hell Gate inside of Torre Del Sol…anyone want to guess why? It was opening too! What's going to happen?! So yeah, Athena definitely has an unusual agenda…what's she up to? Feel free to guess if you want. Just so you guys know, Hell will be in this story…

Moving on, we FINALLY got the long-awaited confrontation with Zangetsu and Ichigo. This particular section of the chapter was very important because it highlighted Zangetsu's past and his motivations. We got to see his powers and hear some of his motivations. Why was Zangetsu an enemy of the Soul King? What connection did he have to the moon? More of this to come later on.

The main highlight of the chapter is something I know everybody has been dying to see…Ichigo's Segunda Etapa. Now there's a reason I chose to make it the way I did, so allow me to explain. A lot of people assumed it was going to look like FGT/Mugetsu, and they were right. However, I implemented additional features to accommodate the fact that Ichigo is a hollow. So his Segunda Etapa is a hollow FGT with wings, horns, and a tail pretty much. I could go on about why I did it the way I did, but I'm sure you get the idea. Hopefully it's acceptable enough for you loyal readers.

Moving on, Ichigo met back up with some of the Espada and explained the deal to them. How will each of them achieve their various Segunda Etapas? How will Starrk? Haha…you guys will like what I have planned for that.

Finally, we got a brief glimpse at Karin, who overheard some unusual news. The zero squad is being contacted?! Yeah…shit's going down.

Anyways, as always, thanks for reading. Stay tuned for next time...I promise it won't be as long of a wait.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Hard Truths and Fragile Dreams**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Silbern, Yuzu ****XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yuzu walked down the hallway towards a familiar location. She was on her way towards the grand hall. Apparently, all of the Sternritters were being called for another big assembly this morning. The past few days had been irregular for her. After having a girl's day with Bambietta's clique, she expected Bazz B to protest during their follow up training the next day.

Strangely enough, Bazz B didn't even come to get her until later that day. He was a lot less friendly than she was used to, but he didn't even seem to care when she told him about it. Part of her was beginning to wonder if that was just his way of trying to toughen her up or if she had done something to offend him.

Today was supposed to be another training day with Bazz B, but due to the news of the morning assembly, she figured it would have to wait. Yuzu took a deep breath and sighed, '_I really should think of some way to apologize to him. I don't want anyone to hate me if I can help it_.'

Yuzu could not catch a break in this place it seemed. Just when Bambietta and her group were starting to come around, then Bazz B started to dislike her. Nothing was ever easy it seemed. Though Yuzu was at least feeling better after the day she had spent hanging out with the Femritters. They were all strange in their own ways, but being the person that she was, Yuzu did see some good in them.

Meninas seemed like a ditzy airhead, but she was actually fairly smart and was undoubtedly one of the nicest people in the Silbern. Liltotto was sarcastic, but she was intelligent and helpful. Bambietta wasn't all that bad either when she wasn't in a bad mood. Candice was still a bit of a mystery, but Yuzu had a certain amount of trust for the woman despite everyone else's warnings. Giselle was without a doubt the weirdest person she had ever met, but she was a very good teacher oddly enough. Overall, the Femritters weren't that bad. Although Bambietta was still scary and Giselle still gave her the creeps. Yuzu slightly regretted not asking about all of their pasts when she had the chance, but she figured that was probably something best done individually. Judging by Bambietta's remark about Giselle's past, Yuzu figured she was better off not knowing or asking.

"Hey new girl, stop for a minute," a strange voice sounded.

Yuzu was immediately drawn from her thoughts as she glanced back at the sight of not one, but two other Sternritters. One had unkempt long black hair and two tongues by the looks of it. Currently he had a closed smile, but Yuzu was almost positive she saw two tongues as she turned around. His arms were tucked into his long coat and he was apparently barefoot as well.

The other Sternritter was one Yuzu was unfamiliar with. This individual had an androgynous look with short, two toned hair. It was a blondish pink with dark colored tips on the bangs. Yuzu found it to be slightly edgy looking. She had seen people like this before, but was not expecting it in the Wandenreich.

'_Why am I even surprised by these things anymore? I wonder what they want from me?'_ Yuzu thought to herself.

"Ah, if it isn't the new recruit. I heard you became a Sternritter…what was your name again?" the edgy looking Sternritter asked.

"Yuzu Kurosaki," the teen answered almost compulsively.

'_What was that? I didn't hesitate…I just answered without thinking_,' Yuzu thought confused.

"What's your schrift, Yuzu Kurosaki?" the Sternritter asked. It was at this point, Yuzu finally figured out the edgy Sternritter was a female.

"L for Light," Yuzu answered immediately.

"Hmm, interesting…so forgive my curiosity, but I believe I heard something about you being the hollow king's sister. Did you truly not know he was a hollow?" the woman asked.

"I had no idea. Ichi-nii died well over two and a half years ago. I didn't even know that hollows existed until just recently," Yuzu answered honestly.

"Fascinating…and do you hold any thoughts of-" the woman was about to ask another question, but was interrupted by the other Sternritter.

"Stop talking, Berenice. His majesty would not make her a Sternritter if he suspected her of being in league with the hollows," the unkempt Sternritter said annoyed. He had a strange way of talking in Yuzu's opinion. Although after confirming that he actually did have two tongues, she immediately realized why.

Berenice shook her head, "This was by no means an interrogation. I was just curious."

"Who are you guys?" Yuzu finally was able to get a sentence out.

"Nianzol Weizol, Sternritter W for Wind," the long dark haired one answered.

"Berenice Gabrielli, Sternritter Q for Question," the other Sternritter replied.

Yuzu examined them more closely with a cautious stare. Why were these Quincies addressing her? Was there some kind of motive behind their curiosity or was it simply that? The Kurosaki teen was beginning to grow less trusting of new people the longer she spent around the Quincies. This duo in particular had a certain mischievous aura about them.

"Nice to meet you," Yuzu finally said after a slightly awkward silence.

The inquisitive Berenice immediately started talking again, "Likewise, young lady. You seem like quite the little angel. I daresay you appear to lack a shred of hate or anger in your entire soul. Are you truly as innocent as you portray yourself to be?"

"I'm just who I am." Yuzu managed to reply vaguely.

Berenice raised an eyebrow somewhat surprised, "And who are you exactly from your perspective?"

"I'm Yuzu Kurosaki, a Quincy like my mother," the young teen responded.

"That was a vague answer…you are quite the elusive little mystery, young lady," the Sternritter noted.

Yuzu gave the edgy looking Sternritter an uncertain look, "Was there something you wanted from me?"

"You are much more confrontational and upfront than I imagined. All that time around Bazz B and Bambietta's gang has certainly made you less timid. You are definitely more callous and willful than before," Berenice stated with a strange grin.

Her words immediately shined a light on a very real revelation. Yuzu had been acting differently ever since beginning her training. It was no secret that she was changing, but how far had it already gone? Was Yuzu Kurosaki even the same person anymore? Everything was the same, and she felt the same about a lot of things. However, a lot of things were undeniably different.

Yuzu was thinking less fearfully and more tactically now. Her previous empathy for strangers had been slowly morphing into skepticism and caution. Bazz B's words of warning had been taking root very strongly as of late. The young teen was more than aware of the dangers that certain Sternritters posed to her, and knew the dangers of being too gullible or trusting. How long would it be before she ended up like Bambietta or her gang? Despite the fact that they weren't as terrible as she initially assumed, the idea still frightened her a great deal.

Yuzu shook her head concerned, '_Am I really changing? I don't feel any different, but she said I was more callous. I don't feel that way, but maybe it's happening without me knowing? Maybe Bazz B's training is changing my mindset? But I can't change too much…my family won't recognize or accept me if I become like these people. These people are corrupted_,' Yuzu thought to herself in a trance like worried state.

"Of course I'm not implying you could ever be as vile as that lot. It would be inconceivable to see such a pure sweetheart become tainted in such a way. Although given enough time, there's no telling what Bambietta and her little entourage of sinners could do to you," Berenice rambled on.

The fair haired teen looked at Berenice concerned, "What makes them sinners? Do you not like any of them?"

"I'm glad you asked that question. It is good to educate the newer members on the dangers of sinning. As the Inquisitor of the Wandenreich, it is my responsibility to keep everyone educated and honest. Bambietta herself is a good Sternritter, but her loyalties have been proven fickle at times. However, Giselle and Candice are liars and fakes. Need I explain the vileness of fraud? They're slimy and elusive like anyone with a secret to hide would be. They must confess and repent their sins to me and to our great god-emperor," Berenice continued talking.

"You're the Inquisitor of the Wandenreich?" Yuzu reconfirmed as she began to realize why Berenice was talking to her now.

"Allow me to elaborate, Yuzu Kurosaki. The great lord Haschwalth and God-Emperor Yhwach have entrusted me to be the holy inquisitor of the Wandenreich. Each of the Sternritters and every soldier in our great army must confess their sins to me on a regular basis. It ensures loyalty, honesty, and improves morale," Berenice said proudly.

'_Sounds like brainwashing and scare tactics to me. What was that word I heard in school that described this kind of thing? It was something to do with cults I think. Indoctrination was it? So she's like some kind of priestess they all have to confess to? That's unsettling_,' Yuzu thought to herself.

Nianzol let out an over-dramatic sigh, "It's less of a confession and more of a mandatory interrogation. It wouldn't be so bad if you knew how to shut up occasionally."

"Talking is my job and my craft, Nianzol. You know this as well as I do," Berenice shot back.

"Why are you three standing around in the hall talking? The assembly is starting soon, so make your way there now," a calm but serious voice interrupted.

Walking down the hall, they spotted a tall darker skinned man with a unique looking outfit. His cloak was long and white, but light brown fur covered several parts of his attire. One of his arms was sleeveless and on his head rested a bicorn hat. It had a striking resemblance to a European admiral's hat or something a pirate would have worn. A closer look at his face revealed he had short blondish hair and an X shaped mark covering one of his eyes.

Berenice and Nianzol seemed worried upon noticing him and immediately tensed up fearfully. Berenice nervously spoke first, "Forgive us my lord, we were just speaking to the new recruit."

"Who is he?" Yuzu asked confused by their concern.

"That's Lille Barro, leader of the Schutzstaffel…the elite sternritters. Don't piss him off. If he tells you to do something, then do it," Nianzol leaned in and whispered to her.

"New recruit? Oh…the girl. This isn't the time to socialize. Move it you three," Lille said as he noticed Yuzu.

The Kurosaki teen could definitely see why the others were scared of this man. He carried a sniper rifle with him and had a constant look of bored displeasure. A brief moment passed before Yuzu realized that Nianzol and Berenice had already taken off. She looked around urgently as she realized she was now alone in front of this elite Sternritter.

"Are you deaf, newbie? I said move it," Lille repeated himself.

"Yes sir," Yuzu responded immediately as she snapped from her daze. She turned to make her way towards the grand hall, but soon found the man walking alongside her. She didn't dare to address or even look at him as they made their way to the assembly.

The man briefly looked down at her and shook his head, "Gerard spoke about you the other day…he seems to hold you in higher regard than most other new recruits. I hope his insight is correct, because the last good recruit we gained was Askin. The rest of the current Sternritters are unfit to call themselves Yhwach's knights. I hope you prove to be every bit as useful as Gerard believes you to be."

Yuzu didn't know how to respond to his comment and simply nodded in acknowledgment. Before long, they were finally in the assembly hall. It didn't take long for Yuzu to figure out that the other Sternritters were standing in alphabetical order. She made her way to the front of the crowd and looked for her place in the front lineup. She immediately found it right between two Sternritters she didn't know. One was a heftier fat man floating on some type of disc. The other was a dark haired man with a scar across his mouth and a disgusted glare permanently etched on his face. It seemed apparent that a few spots between her and the scar-faced man were missing.

The fat Sternritter on the floating disc was quick to give Yuzu a funny look, "Why if it isn't the fresh young maiden. What is your Schrift?"

"She's Sternritter L," Gerard answered for her. Yuzu quickly noticed Gerard standing on the other side of the floating fat Sternritter. The fat man on the floating disc seemed a bit confused, "L? But that's my letter…"

"You're Sternritter L too?" Yuzu asked the fat man.

He grinned a gigantic dumb grin as he adjusted his sunglasses, "Indeed I am little missy! Sternritter L, Pepe Waccabrada! L for Love!"

The scar-faced Quincy on Yuzu's other side looked over with a disgusted glare, "Shut up, you floating fat ass. It's embarrassing enough to stand this close to you in line…I don't want to hear you speak."

"You're as hardened and unbending as your schrift itself, Cang Du…" Pepe said with a light chuckle.

"I hope her being Sternritter L means that you're getting replaced…" Cang Du said with a heartless and bitter tone.

Pepe seemed taken aback by the comment and let out a chuckle to conceal his concern, "That would be quite silly, Cang Du. The great lord Yhwach appreciates those who serve and perform faithfully. My love is invaluable to our great Wandenreich."

On Cang Du's other side, Yuzu spotted Bazz B. The Mohawk Quincy had a deep look on his face as if he was more interested in the assembly than what was going on around him. It was quite apparent to Yuzu that Bazz B was likely aware of the reason why they were all summoned for the assembly.

"I liked it better when Kirge and BG9 stood between the two of us. Where the hell are those guys anyway? They're still not back yet?" Cang Du wondered.

"Those are the ones that were sent to Hueco Mundo right?" Yuzu asked inquisitively.

Cang Du glanced at her apathetically, "Yeah, they were."

"I imagine this meeting has something to do with the scouting party and their findings. They will likely present us with their espionage report…perhaps they even have captives!" Pepe stated enthusiastically.

Before anyone could say another word, Yhwach walked into the room with Haschwalth and Uryu at his sides. The Quincy Emperor had a look of seriousness and did not appear to be in a good mood. Haschwalth and Uryu quickly took their places beside him as Yhwach stood in front of his army.

"My faithful Sternritters and soldiers of the Wandenreich, I come bearing news about the scouting party that was sent to Hueco Mundo. Kirge and Nanana's powers have returned to me, and BG9 has been undetectable for a while now. There is only one explanation for this…the hollows have killed them," Yhwach began.

Everyone seemed to perk up with an urgent curiosity and concern. Several conversations broke out among the Sternritters, but they were quickly silenced as Yhwach continued speaking, "The hollows have drawn first blood. Make no mistake my children…they are coming for us."

"So what are we going to do about them now? I say we invade as soon as possible!" Gremmy interrupted.

"I doubt that is a good idea given the nature of the situation. Three Sternritters were killed by unknown means. It would be foolish to invade without any kind of intelligence on our enemy's numbers and motives. I suggest we fortify and wait for our lord Yhwach's powers to fully return," Robert Accutrone stated seriously.

"How much longer is that supposed to be anyway?" Cang Du muttered just loud enough for a lot of people to hear.

"It will take as long as necessary…you should be more preoccupied with strengthening your own Schrifts and honing your combat skills. The point of this announcement is to put things into perspective for the entire army. The hollows do not fear the power of the Wandenreich. In fact, they mock our very strength by killing scouts. A show of force must be delivered," Haschwalth announced.

Yhwach held up a hand to silence any additional comments as he spoke calmly, "My powers are not fully recovered yet, but I will assist in the invasion nonetheless. I am eager to meet Ichigo Kurosaki face to face."

"My lord…are you sure about going with them? You can't be away from the Silbern for too long," Haschwalth said seriously.

"For my purposes it will be long enough. Mobilize the Wandenreich immediately. We invade Hueco Mundo in one week's time. I suggest all of you hone your skills before then…battles will be inevitable," Yhwach stated.

Yuzu was not particularly thrilled by the news, _'They're invading the Hollow world now!? I hope there isn't any battles…I don't want to see Ichi-nii get hurt. Why is there going to be violence? I thought they wanted me to convince Ichigo to work with them? What's going to happen? I'm scared…I don't want to be in a war._'

"Just so we're clear, who is all going in the invasion?" Cang Du asked Yhwach calmly.

Yhwach grinned widely, "Everyone."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX** **Soul Society, Karin and Rukia** **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Kido is a lot harder than you make it seem," Karin said with a heavy breath.

Rukia frowned at her comment and shrugged, "Well it's not for everyone. It might not be for you. I know plenty of Shinigami that don't rely on Kido who make some of our greatest fighters. It all just depends on what you want to specialize in."

"Not knowing Kido cost me my fight at the Shinigami Academy. Teach me as much as you can," Karin pleaded eagerly.

Rukia sighed, "I've already taught you a lot of the basic ones. You just need to practice them on your own now. You should focus on getting skilled at the basics first. It builds a good foundation for a lot of the more advanced techniques later. It's all kind of boring at first, but stick with it and you can hone your kido skills pretty quickly. You already have a lot of spiritual energy, so that alone ought to give you an advantage in training more often."

"I see…well thanks for the help." Karin replied.

"I'm glad I could help…although I might have to let you practice on your own for a while now. I want to get the details about Captain Urahara contacting the zero squad. It's been a few days and they should be coming back soon," Rukia replied with a distracted expression.

Karin nodded, "I understand…what do you think the purpose of that trip even was?"

Before Rukia could answer, Yoruichi appeared nearby, seemingly out of nowhere. She was quick to explain the situation, "Sorry to keep you youngsters out of the loop, but Kisuke is making sure the Royal Guard is aware of the looming dangers. Whether or not they choose to help us is anyone's guess."

"Shihoin-sama? You're back?!" Rukia exclaimed with a shocked expression.

Karin gave the darker skinned woman a curious stare, "Is the other guy back too?"

"Kisuke is still there, but he'll be coming back with several of the zero squad members to speak to the Gotei 13 leadership. Apparently they're pretty unhappy about us asking them to intervene. Luckily Kisuke and Kukaku convinced them to listen. I doubt anyone else could have done as much," Yoruichi explained.

"What exactly is he asking them for? According to my brother, the Zero Squad isn't even allowed to leave the Soul Palace. It's their sworn duty to defend the Soul King. There's not really much they could do to help us from there," Rukia replied.

Yoruichi shrugged, "Well Kisuke is well aware of that. I believe he was asking permission for certain captains to train with them. It wouldn't really be a breach in their duty and it would be helpful in getting us a stronger edge in the battles to come. Plus it couldn't hurt to keep them informed of what's on the horizon. When Kisuke mentioned White to them, they seemed to take it pretty seriously. I get the feeling they know more than we do about the hollows and their motives."

"Training with the Zero Squad? How the heck would he pull that kind of request off? Normal Shinigami aren't even allowed to go to the Soul Palace. We don't even know how to get there! Speaking of which...you've already been there and back? How exactly?" Rukia exclaimed.

Yoruichi chuckled as she waved her hand, "It would be easier having Kukaku's little brother explain that to you. Ganju, get over here."

Clumsily breaking his cover, Ganju, who had apparently been eavesdropping, moved in. Rukia and Karin gave him unusual looks as he stopped in front of them and Yoruichi.

The man over-dramatically cleared his throat and spoke up, "Well not that many people in the Soul Society know this, but the Shiba Clan was entrusted with being messengers to the Zero Squad. I guess Kaien never told you, but we're the gatekeepers of the Royal Palace. You didn't hear that cannon go off the other day? That was them leaving for the Soul Palace. Kukaku is the only one besides the Zero Squad who can get to the Soul Palace. The arm she lost isn't from an accident…it was turned into an Oken…a king's key to go back and forth as one pleases."

"What?! I had no idea the Shibas were entrusted with something like that!" Rukia gasped.

Ganju sighed, "Yeah well it's not supposed to be common knowledge. Only people who are really high up the chain know about it."

"Regardless of that, the Zero Squad will more than likely help us in any way they can. This request doesn't necessarily interfere with their normal duties, so I am sure they will accept several individuals to train," Yoruichi stated.

"I wonder who they would take to train" Rukia pondered aloud.

Yoruichi crossed her arms and thought for a moment, "Well I doubt they would want too many of us, and I know some captains would be too proud to go anyways. The older captains especially would not go based on pride alone. It would more than likely be younger captains or stronger lieutenants. Captains Kuchiki, Hitsugaya, and Zaraki would be the most ideal candidates. Although I wouldn't doubt Captain Komamura accepting as well. Lieutenants Abarai, Hisagi, Matsumoto, Yachiru, and yourself would be ideal vice-captains to go."

"Could I go?" Karin asked.

Yoruichi gave her an unusual look, "I'm not really sure what Isshin would say about that. Besides, you're kind of new at this. You need to master the basics before you go bothering the Zero Squad."

Karin gave Yoruichi an annoyed look before turning away, "Rise Aoigetsu!"

Her shikai released and formed after a brief moment causing everyone to stare at her confused. Karin held it up and swung the blade heavily, "Getsuga Tenshou!"

A blue beam arced off the edge of her sword and flew into the distance cutting down countless trees and several other structures as well. Karin rested the blade on her shoulder as she stared Yoruichi down, "I'm not just some random kid. I can help too…I just need more training."

"When did you learn Getsuga Tenshou? That's Isshin's ability. Did he teach it to you?" Yoruichi noted with a curious grin.

"No, but I heard about it. The ability sounded similar to the arc waves my shikai released in the academy so I sort of just figured it out myself," Karin explained.

Rukia rose a brow surprised, "It's hard to imagine you as an academy student. You're already strong enough to hold a higher seat in one of the Squads. I guess it's not too surprising though…you are Captain Shiba's daughter after all."

Karin rolled her eyes, "Like I said…give me some direction and I'll run with it. I need to get stronger for the sake of my family."

"For the sake of your family?" Rukia questioned curiously.

"And what do you intend to do once you get more powerful, Karin? Fight your brother?" Yoruichi asked curiously.

Karin looked away glaring at the ground, "I thought about it...but no. That's not what's going to fix this problem. Ichigo is stronger than every Shinigami in the Soul Society."

"So then why are you so adamant about becoming more powerful?" Yoruichi wondered.

"You wouldn't understand…I need him to acknowledge me and not just push me aside. Ichigo can't just ignore me if I'm on the battlefield. If he's truly lost, then he would prove it by trying to kill me." Karin explained.

"That's ludicrous, Karin…you're going to get yourself killed if you try to put yourself in his way like that. Even Isshin has accepted that Ichigo is not the same brother you grew up with. The hollow that infected his soul is malevolent. What he did to Soifon was…monstrous. Do you really think your brother is that vengeful? No…the brother you knew is unfortunately dead, and the hollow is the dominant part of his soul. I know it's not what you want to hear, but White is going to have to be killed. There's simply no other way to stop him," Yoruichi ranted.

Rukia frowned and interjected slowly, "I have to disagree with you, Shihoin-sama…I was his hostage once. It was back during the first sightings of his Vasto Lorde form in Karakura Town. He forced the captains to retreat when he took me hostage. I could hardly believe they stood down, but afterward, Ichigo kept me with him and went to some graveyard. That was the first time I ever saw Karin…"

"You…You know about that?!" Karin gasped.

"He dropped me shortly after we got there, but I remember him staring at you intently. Call me crazy, but I didn't sense any cruel intentions in him that night," Rukia reasoned.

"He…he actually followed me to the park that night. I was sitting on a swing and he tried to communicate with me. He wanted to know what my brother's name was…I think he was still a Vasto Lorde at the time. I didn't know what to think. I thought it was all a trick, but when I told him, he said 'Ichigo? My name…' and he told me he remembered the hollow dragging him away, and that it wasn't my fault. He said he would do it all over again to keep me safe. That WAS Ichi-nii…even after all that happened to him, he was more concerned with my well-being. I asked him if I would ever see him again and he told me 'Hopefully not.' Ichigo was angry when he saw me again in the Soul Society at the Shinigami Academy. He asked why I was there…I said some pretty horrible things to him. Called him a monster…said he wasn't my brother. He never once tried to kill me, and before he left he told me to take care of Yuzu. Why would a hollow do something like that?! The Soul Society is messed up…we can't just kill Ichigo! There's got to be another solution!" Karin said emotionally.

"Like what? He's already made his intentions clear. He wants to destroy the Soul Society and kill the Soul King. How can you make peace with somebody like that? I'm sorry, Karin…but whether or not Ichigo is still in there, White has to die for the safety and preservation of our existence," Yoruichi replied sadly.

Karin shook her head, "Your way is stupid…everyone killing each other won't solve anything. Ichigo isn't a mindless monster…he's obviously angry at the Soul Society for something. Is the idea of trying to make peace with him too outlandish for you people?!"

"Of course not, Karin…I for one would be very much in favor for it, but that's unfortunately too idealistic for us to hope for. We can try…but we must be prepared for the other solution as well. Expect the worst and hope for the best, yeah?" Yoruichi tried to calm her down.

Rukia looked at Karin somewhat surprised by the revealing news, '_I had a feeling it was true…that night he went after her, and she wasn't even touched. If he did that as a Vasto Lorde, then as an arrancar it's even more apparent that Ichigo wouldn't hurt his family. It sounds crazy, but maybe we should try making peace with him. Maybe Ichigo would be willing to back down if he felt assured the Soul Society would leave the hollows alone. Although there's still the balance of the worlds to worry about. Hmm…but giving the hollows some autonomy over managing their population would be a better solution than trying to wipe them out. Full scale war is just going to get everyone killed. I should bring this up at the next Gotei 13 Squad Captain Meeting._'

Ganju decided to change the subject as he looked at Aoigetsu resting over Karin's shoulder, "On a different note though, Getsuga is a hidden Shiba technique. I'm amazed you learned it on your own. Not even Kaien managed to do that, and he was a lieutenant. You are definitely a strong heir to the clan. I think Kukaku would like to see that. Does uncle Isshin know you can do Getsuga too?"

"No, he doesn't…" Karin stated slowly.

"You've been growing at an exponential rate…it kind of reminds me of how quickly Captain Hitsugaya ascended through the ranks. Although it might be dangerous for you to grow too much too fast," Rukia stated.

"I wouldn't sweat it, Kuchiki. Maybe she's a prodigy. I know that having a good understanding of one's Zanpakuto can make a big difference in understanding one's potential. At any rate, if you really want to train with the others, Karin, then ask Kisuke when he gets back. I don't really have the authority to tell you what you should and shouldn't do," Yoruichi noted.

"I will…anything beats going back to school," Karin responded somewhat optimistically.

Ganju cracked a grin, "You are like a combination of Kukaku and Kaien…definitely a true Shiba! I like you cousin!"

"So what's the deal with this Kaien guy everyone keeps vaguely talking about? He was your brother right?" Karin asked Ganju.

He didn't appear thrilled by the topic of Kaien, but given the fact that Karin wasn't funny aware of the details, Ganju decided to explain, "Kaien was the older brother of Kukaku and myself. He was a Shinigami Lieutenant decades ago. He ended up getting infected by hollow and was killed…by her. You might have heard some of the details the night you arrived."

Karin looked over at Rukia, whom Ganju was now pointing at. Rukia did not seem thrilled by the topic, but nodded nonetheless, "I admired Kaien greatly…it brought me no joy to set him free from hollowfication."

"Yeah, I'm sure you did what you had to do…but it doesn't really change the fact that he's gone now," Ganju said sadly.

"Sorry for bringing that up, but it makes me wonder something. Where would someone's soul go if they died here?" Karin wondered.

"Given the fact that he was undergoing hollowfication, I imagine his soul was either obliterated or it ended up being recycled and reborn as something else," Rukia sighed.

"Is it possible he ended up in Hueco Mundo? I mean that's where Ichigo ended up after a hollow ate him," Karin said curiously.

Rukia's eyes shot open shocked, "That's crazy…there's no way Kaien is a hollow."

"But he was undergoing hollowfication…you said so yourself," Karin shot back.

"Even if it's true, normal hollow evolution takes decades if not longer. He would likely be part of a Gillian or one of the Adjuchas. Unfortunately, I wouldn't hold out hope for him being alive or dominant in that kind of state," Yoruichi sighed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Torre Del Sol ****XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Hell Gate slowly peeled open as the strained rattling chains loosened. Soifon gawked in utter horror before turning towards Athena concerned.

Athena's eyes were wide with surprise as the gate opened a bit further. She looked over at Soifon confused, "That's not supposed to happen…"

"Why would it do that?!" Soifon asked urgently.

Before the gate could fully open, a powerful jolt of spiritual energy flooded the room which caused the gate to reverse direction and slowly crank closed. Unfortunately, a black clad figure burst out before it could close. He was unusual looking to say the least.

Soifon gawked at this individual as she slowly gripped the hilt of her Zanpakuto. The mask on the man's face had a very similar likeness to that of a bird of some kind. A very visible chain could be seen anchoring the man to the open gate behind him.

Not moments later, two additional figures came through alongside him. Both of them appeared to have feminine physiques which led Soifon to assume they were women. One had the mask of a fox and the other was difficult to discern. Although their faces were covered by the masks, Athena seemed to know who these people were based on their statures alone.

She stared at them disbelievingly, "Taima…Miho…Yuvha? Is that really you three?"

"Athena…still guarding the gate I see. Even after all these years? I'm shocked it's still intact," the bird masked man said.

Athena narrowed her gaze at him, "How did you open it? What are you three doing in Hell?"

"Maybe you should ask your brother why we're dead and stuck in Hell," the female with the strange mask replied.

"What are you saying?" Athena deflected with uncertainty.

The fox masked woman took a few steps forward and started to laugh a in a slightly ominous way, "Don't pretend like you don't know, Athena…"

"Are you implying Arturo killed you three?" Athena asked.

The fox masked woman started to clap mockingly, "Bravo! She figured it out!"

The other woman hissed in annoyance, "Where's Arturo?!"

"He's dead…I haven't seen him since the fall of the Moon Tower in Las Noches," the purple haired arrancar replied.

"What a shame…that selfish bastard is the one who belongs in Hell, not us." she said.

"How do you figure? My brother only ever had the best intentions for Hueco Mundo. He would not have killed you without good cause. The fact that you three are in Hell makes me doubt that he did so without reason," Athena retorted.

"Surely you're aware of what happens when arrancars kill each other, right Athena? Since the victor no longer consumes the loser, their soul only has one place to go…Hell. That is one of the reasons why Zangetsu forbid us to fight each other. I highly doubt you forgot that," the fox woman said with disbelief.

"Then explain to me how Arturo killed you and why? He wouldn't do that unless he had to." Athena asked.

The fox woman shook her head, "Well he tried to declare himself King after the initial purge was over. News had already reached us about Zangetsu's death, and your cowardly escape. Only four Espada survived…Arturo and the three of us. He believed himself our superior and that we should rebuild the Espada beneath him."

"And that's what led to the infighting? I always assumed it was something less petty than that," Athena said with a frown.

"We know no King but Zangetsu…the one true King of the Hollows. Arturo had no authority to command us…he was barely stronger than I am. The Espada was Zangetsu's creation, and it died with him. I was not interested in following some over ambitious pretender into the grave with our King!" the bird masked man said strongly.

"Arturo cared just as much about Zangetsu's will as the three of you. I'm sure his intentions were more along the lines of revenge against the Shinigami…not usurping the power gap," Athena reasoned.

"You don't get it, Athena…if Zangetsu couldn't defeat the Shinigami then why would Arturo fare any better? You two like to pretend you were on par with him, but you never were and you never will be," the man growled.

"Don't bother, Taima, Athena's just as high and mighty as her bratty brother. Zangetsu should never have shown mercy to them in the first place…" the strange masked woman cut in. Soifon tried to make sense of what it was, but wasn't having much luck.

"Lady Athena, who are these people?" Yin asked curiously.

Athena sighed heavily, "Taima the thunderbird, Miho the kitsune, and Yuvha the basilisk. These were Zangetsu's lieutenants in the ancient times before the formation of the Espada. They ruled over the hollows in the Menos Highlands. They were the first to join Zangetsu's Conquest. They were later the Tres, Quinto, and Sexta Espadas."

Taima looked over Athena's companions with curiosity, "You found yourself some new minions I see."

Yin and Yang appeared otherwise speechless given the unusual circumstances. Taima's gaze immediately stopped upon noticing Soifon's attire, "What the…are those Shinigami clothes? Why would an arrancar be wearing a modified black Shihakusho?"

The woman identified as Yuvha sent an icy death glare towards Soifon. Though it was hard to see any of their expressions beneath the masks, her green snake-like eyes were definitely filled with hostility. Her mask appeared to make sense now that Soifon knew she was a serpent of some kind.

The fox masked woman looked over at Soifon and was the first to address her directly, "Why are you wearing a Shinigami uniform, arrancar?"

"Because I used to be one…" Soifon replied bluntly.

"Why is she with you, Athena?" the bird masked man wondered.

The woman shook her head, "I found Soifon out in the desert all alone. Her condition is apparently the work of Hueco Mundo's newest King. A hollow by the name of White."

"A new king? Hueco Mundo has a new king?" Taima asked.

Soifon nodded as she addressed the question, "Yes, and he's far more powerful than any of you. White sacked the Soul Society recently and abducted a powerful relic called the Hogyoku. He used it to mass produce an arrancar army…he's got hundreds of them. He also rebuilt the Espada and declared war against the Soul Society. I don't know how strong Zangetsu was, but the Soul Society considers White the biggest threat to the Shinigami in the history of the Gotei 13. White also turned me into a hollow after I declared my hatred for your kind."

"Ironic punishment…" Yang muttered.

Athena shook her head in annoyance, "Regardless of that matter…why are you three here? I highly doubt the guardians would just let you do this. Who got you to this gate?"

"Athena…you always were intuitive weren't you?" Miho chuckled, "Hardly surprising considering how knowledgeable you are on Hell."

"Why do they look like that? They don't look like the statues from the antechamber," Yang said noticing the differences in appearance. What's with those masks covering their faces?"

"We're Togabitos now," Yuvha stated as if it was obvious.

"What the hell is a Togabito?" Yin wondered.

Soifon had actually heard the term before. It was used to describe sinner souls who had greatly offended the natural order of the world. They were pulled from the cycle of rebirth and forever imprisoned in Hell for their crimes.

Athena chose not to answer as she took a step closer and looked at her three former companions. She gave them a deadly glare, "I won't ask again…what do you want?"

"What do you think!? We want to get out of here! You can get us out, can't you?" Taima shouted.

Athena shook her head, "And risk opening Hell again…no. We sealed it a long time ago for a reason."

"Wait…what?" Soifon cocked her head with widened eyes.

"Well this is part of what I wanted to show you, Soifon. Torre Del Sol was built to seal the door between Hell and Hueco Mundo. This tower was created stop demons and sinners from escaping Hell," Athena explained.

Soifon's eyes widened with disbelief, "I had no idea hollows sealed off Hell…"

"I know we were never close, Athena, but please help us. You can do something about this!" Taima asked somewhat more respectfully.

"You're all dead…you're going to have to stay dead. I'm sorry, but I won't risk letting another demon army into Hueco Mundo. Zangetsu made me swear that it would stay sealed. He may be gone, but his command still stands. Forgive me…I had no idea you three were in Hell. I know it's unfair, but I cannot risk another invasion," Athena said sadly.

"Pfft…you hypocritical bitch! Don't buy into her fake sympathy, all of you followers. Athena came from Hell. All of the ancient Sun Hollows did! She was a demon before she became a hollow!" Yuvha spat.

Soifon seemed taken aback by the shocking news. Yin and Yang appeared to be in disbelief.

Athena herself sent a fiery glare towards them, "You always did hold that against me…maybe this is karma."

Before any of them could say another word, Athena held her hand up and blasted their masks off with some kind of burning flare attack. Much to Soifon's surprise, the moment their masks broke, the chains began to yank the three back into Hell. The gate immediately closed afterward and was wrapped in chains. A bright light came in from the ceiling afterward causing some type of ward to cover it as well.

Athena sighed, "Well…that's certainly not something I wanted to show you Soifon."

"You're from Hell?!" Yang gawked at her mistress with shock.

Athena nodded, "I am…"

"How can a demon become a hollow?! That doesn't make any sense?!" Soifon said shocked.

"Things were different before Zangetsu came along. Hollows used to come from two sources…human souls and demon souls. One was falling down the ladder and the other was climbing it. It's difficult to explain this to those who don't understand the way the worlds work. Zangetsu, however, hated the idea of demons coming into Hueco Mundo…sinners escaping Hell and making their way back into the cycle was atrocious to him. Especially because it jeopardized what he was trying to accomplish with the hollows. Before I finally bent my knee to him, Zangetsu told me that leaving the gate open would only ensure chaos and misery for our kind. We built Torre Del Sol to keep the Hellgate sealed," Athena explained.

"Huh…I'll bet that pissed a lot of people off," Soifon noted.

"It certainly did…but the only reason I agreed to help Zangetsu with it is because of the Demon Army that tried to use Hueco Mundo as a buffer to reach the other worlds. Like it or not, he did the Shinigami and humans a massive favor by holding them back," Athena replied.

"So you just sit here and guard the gate? Is that why you were so determined to stay alive?" Soifon finally realized.

Athena sighed, "Well this situation certainly revealed more than I wanted to tell you, but it is good you know the whole truth now. I can only hope that this is enough to convince you that I'm not your enemy."

"So what are you going to do if and when White comes here? You mentioned this place had defenses?" Soifon asked concerned.

"I will speak with him and see for myself whether or not he's trustworthy. I would like you to be present when it happens if you don't mind," Athena replied.

Soifon looked down worried, "I don't know if I can face him again…"

"You won't be alone, Soifon. I'll be there with you," Athena tried to reassure her.

"You don't understand what he's like…I don't know what he'll do when he finds us and this place," Soifon said with unmasked concern.

"You are a good judge of his character. I am quite interested to see how he reacts to you. It will give me an idea of what kind of person he is. Also, do not be worried. Torre Del Sol has an impenetrable defense against attack. For now, I want to give you some lessons in how to be an arrancar," Athena said as she motioned for Soifon to follow her.

Reluctantly, the dark haired arrancar followed Athena out of the room leaving Yin and Yang behind. The twins traded concerned looks before Yin spoke, "I love Lady Athena, but I'm not fighting this arrancar king. If he offers us a chance to join him, I'm going."

"Yin! You can't just betray Athena like that…she's done so much for us," Yang said distraught.

"I'm just telling you now, so you're not surprised if it happens. Lady Athena has been nothing but good to us, but in all these years she never once told us the real reason why that Gate was in here. We're going nowhere just sitting out here. If there's hundreds of Arrancars on the other side of the Abyssal Scar, then I want to be there. Just imagine…a society of people like us where we can be a part of something great," Yin said eagerly.

"But we're already a part of something great. Lady Athena would not forgive us if we left for a supposed better deal. White could be a vindictive tyrant who would want to throw away our lives meaninglessly," Yang said as persuasively as possible.

"Yeah he could be a cruel ruler…but that's only one person's opinion. An ex-shinigami's opinion at that. Athena is leading us nowhere. At least over there, we'd have a real purpose you know?" Yin responded.

Yang frowned, "What if he tries to kill Athena though? Would you just stand by and let it happen? You would eagerly fall in line and follow some king you've never met who killed our leader?"

"Stop with all the doom and gloom, Yang! This is a good thing!" Yin said as she grabbed her sister's shoulders and tried to shake some sense into her.

"I find it ironic that you're the optimistic one for once and I'm the pessimist. Hmph…well maybe things will work out. No matter what though, we're sticking together," Yang replied with a light chuckle.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo's Dream ****XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Looking over the monumental, shimmering citadel of Las Noches surrounded by individual monlith towers, Zangetsu smiled, "It's finally complete…"

"The Moon Tower is beautiful your grace…truly a testament to the might of the Espada," a voice sounded to his side. Zangetsu looked over and spotted a male arrancar with mint green hair and amber eyes. A mask fragment wrapped around his right cheek all the way to the back of his head.

"We didn't make it too big did we? The outer towers are all the size of Torre Del Sol. I don't want people to think we're over-compensating," Zangetsu chuckled as he looked over the city surrounding Las Noches below.

"Haha, surely they wouldn't your grace. It's no more ridiculous than any other palace. Besides, something like this will stand the test of time. Just think about what hollows thousands of years from now will say about it. It's like the heart of Hueco Mundo," the arrancar laughed.

"A pretty big heart…" Zangetsu laughed in unison.

His laughter died down shortly afterward as he stared at it almost sadly, "This is our legacy, Arturo…this palace is a testament to how far we've come. I won't be around forever, but hopefully Las Noches stands the test of time. Future generations will know that somebody was here and that there's more to our existence than this emptiness."

"Ha, what the hell are you talking about, Zangetsu?! We're going to rule here forever…we'll turn Hueco Mundo into a paradise. One that even the Shinigami envy," Arturo proclaimed proudly.

"Unfortunately, nothing good lasts forever. Thankfully nothing bad does as well, but it doesn't make the truth any easier to swallow. That's just not the way things work," Zangetsu explained.

"We can make it work, Zangetsu…all we have to do is protect it," Arturo said as convincingly as he could.

"And we will...for a time, but when and if I die, this entire kingdom is going to come crashing down…hollows only follow a strong leader. I doubt you or your sister could really stop a civil war if something happened to me," Zangetsu said distantly.

"You won't die! You can't die…" Arturo said rejecting the very notion of the possibility.

Zangetsu sighed, "If the Shinigami grow envious or fearful, then they're going to attack us. You have to consider the possibility of my death. If I die…make sure Las Noches stands no matter what."

"You're not going to die, damn it! Where'd all this depressing talk come from anyway? You're not worried about the demons coming back are you? Or is it the Shinigami?" Arturo wondered.

Zangetsu turned to face Arturo with a serious face, "I don't know what it is. I have been having these visions of my past life…it's all blurry. Nothing makes sense. I keep seeing hell butterflies in my dreams as well…"

"Zangetsu!" a voice interrupted them. Both Arturo and Zangetsu turned around and spotted a black haired female arrancar sporting a strange variation of the Espada wardrobe. It was quite similar to a short kimono and was the traditional Espada white. The arrancar woman was also barefoot.

She had beautiful blue eyes which were feral and almost seemed to glow unnaturally. Her scleras were black as well which only added to this unusual glow. Despite also having pitch black hair, the very tips of her hair was a ghostly silver-white. Her mask fragment looked remarkably like fox ears.

"I'll tell you the rest some other time," Zangetsu said as he briefly looked back at Arturo.

"What do you want, Miho? We were having a conversation," Arturo said somewhat annoyed.

The kitsune arrancar gave him a wicked glare, "I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to speak to my master when I wanted to. Am I forbidden to approach, Segunda?"

Arturo rolled his eyes at her, "Whatever…"

"Master, I have something for you," Miho said eagerly as she handed him a large and unusual looking key.

He gave her a bewildered look, "You made me a key? That's…cute. Is it the key to your heart?"

Miho immediately burst into laughter as she doubled over in hysteria, "Hahaha! You're kidding me right?!"

"It wasn't that funny…" Arturo said in annoyance as he gave Miho an unimpressed look.

"I thought the King's joke was hilarious," Miho replied.

"Oh you're totally right…it was a funny joke. The joke being why a key to your heart would matter to anyone?" Arturo responded callously.

"Zangetsu doesn't like me like that…and I don't like him like that either. Maybe you just don't understand it…Zangetsu is like my brother. Crawl out of your own ass for once, Arturo," Miho said somewhat more seriously.

Zangetsu shook his head and laughed, "There is no key to escape the friend zone I guess."

Arturo couldn't help but chuckle at the way Zangetsu followed up.

"Anyways…what's the key for, Miho?" Arturo asked.

"Wait a minute…is this what I think it is?" Zangetsu asked as he began to realize what the key was.

"Yeah…it's what you think it is. It's that Oken thing you were always talking about. You mentioned a good while back that you were looking for the rest of the parts. It took a while, but Taima, Yuvha, and I finally found them all and we managed to put them back together for you," Miho explained.

Zangetsu's eyes were wide with amazement, "You have no idea how truly thankful I am that you three recovered this for me…how did you find all the pieces? This thing was shattered."

"What's it open anyway? You always talked about finding all the pieces when we were Vasto Lordes," Miho said curiously.

"Yeah, what does that thing open? I didn't do all that work just out of the kindness of my heart. Why is that key important to you?" a male voice sounded nearby.

Zangetsu looked up and noticed a tall, tan skinned man with long raven hair. He also had tribal markings on his face which only accentuated his piercing silver and black sclera eyes. His mask fragment was difficult to describe, but it had feathers coming out of it which gave it an obvious avian appearance.

To his side was a woman with silver white hair, green black sclera eyes, and ghostly pale skin. Her hair was in a single long braid and her mask fragment resembled the remnants of a snake's upper jaw.

"Taima don't be pushy…he'll tell us if he wants," Yuvha said calmly as the duo made their way towards the others.

"Well you can't blame me for being curious…it's obviously something important," the man said seriously.

Zangetsu looked at the key for a moment and frowned, "To be honest, I don't even remember what it was for or what it opened. It was a long time ago and all I remember was it used to be very important to me. Now that I finally have it again, I don't really know what to think. You guys going through the trouble of doing something like this for me means more to me than the actual key itself."

"So it's the key to your heart?!" Miho laughed.

"Aww you seriously don't remember what it's for? That's like the biggest mystery ever when it comes to you. You're not even remotely curious to find out why you were obsessed with that thing?" Yuvha asked.

Zangetsu stared at it for a long moment, '_What did this thing open?_'

He gripped it tightly in hand as he felt a wave of frustration wash over him, '_Why can't I remember?!_'

Ichigo dream soon began to distort into a strange, twisted reality as a massive hell butterfly flew in front of him, **"You have found solace in your ignorance, Zangetsu…but your time is running out."**

"Get away from me!" Zangetsu shouted defensively.

He looked around in the darkness and couldn't see Hueco Mundo or his companions anywhere in sight. He called out to them urgently, "Taima! Miho! Arturo! Athena! Yuvha! Anyone!?"

There was no response, and all Zangetsu could see was the massive hell butterfly flying towards him.

**"Darkness awaits you, Zangetsu. Nobody can hear you. Nobody can see you. Nobody can smell you. Nobody can touch you. Nobody can sense you. Nobody will remember you. Nonexistence will drown you in the black sea of oblivion. You were too weak. Your courage has failed. Your friends are all dead…your kingdom has fallen…Your heart will explode."** an unknown voice said distantly in the darkness. It soon became clear that the Hell butterfly was the one speaking to him.

Not a second after it finished speaking, Zangetsu clutched his chest in agony. It literally felt like his chest was about to burst. He shrieked in pain as the feeling of pain in his chest grew exponentially.

"Arrgh!" Zangetsu howled as his chest began to inflate. From the hole in his chest, he could see a massive gathering of some white substance that ballooned to twice his size. Not even a second later, his chest burst causing him to writhe in pure agony.

"White! Wake up!" a voice cried through the darkness.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Las Noches, Ichigo ****XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Jerking upright in terror, Ichigo immediately lunged for the figure standing over him in his dark room. He grabbed them by the shoulders as he pinned the shadow against the wall. It took him a few moments to realize he just woke from a nightmare. After realizing the situation, Ichigo calmed down and took a closer look at the individual who woke him.

It was none other than Harribel. Her deep green eyes had a look of genuine concern etched on them as she politely pushed Ichigo off of her.

"Are you, okay?" she asked not really sure what to say.

"Harribel…what are you doing in my room?" Ichigo asked curiously.

She frowned beneath her mask, "Well I wanted to get some advice from you about the whole second release thing…but I got a bit distracted by the weird stuff you were saying in your sleep."

"I talk in my sleep?" Ichigo said surprised.

She nodded her head, "Yeah…you said some names I'd never heard before. There was also something about the key to someone's heart? Must have been a strange dream…although the last bit seemed more like a nightmare. You were calling out for people...it kind of scared me."

"You've been watching me sleep? That's a bit…strange," Ichigo said as he rose a brow at her.

The blonde gave him a counter brow raise, "You don't seem to care when Ulquiorra does it."

"That's because Ulquiorra and I are close friends and he's mostly interested in keeping people from bothering me when I sleep," Ichigo explained.

"I'm bothering your sleep then? Are you saying we're not friends?" the woman crossed her arms.

Ichigo shrugged, "Well we are…but I don't know if I'd consider us close friends. You and I don't talk to each other that much. It's pretty rare for us to talk about anything other than business or leadership stuff."

"Why is that? You seem to talk to everyone else a lot. Even my own fracciones are quite taken with you. They always talk about how they enjoy your company and brag about getting personal time with you later. Do you not enjoy talking to me? Am I boring or something?" she asked.

"What? Of course I like talking to you. Of all the arrancars in Hueco Mundo, you're one of the most level-headed and sensible. I can always trust you to do the right thing and stay on track. I just leave you to yourself a lot because I know I don't have to micromanage you," the hollow king replied.

Harribel seemed as if she was analyzing his every word carefully. Ichigo didn't like this feeling of being analyzed so thoroughly and rubbed the back of his head, "So…what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Not so fast, White. My curiosity is getting the better of me. What were you dreaming about? You should tell me now before you forget," she said anxiously.

"What's with the sudden curiosity? It was just a weird dream. I'd rather not talk about it," Ichigo said defensively.

The blonde cocked her head at him, "You're on guard around me all the time…I didn't really notice it much at first, but it's completely obvious now. Do you not trust me?"

"It's not that…" Ichigo said as he looked away.

She seemed slightly agitated by his lack of an explanation and pushed him, "What is it then?"

There was an odd tension in the room that Ichigo could not understand. It seemed obvious that there was some kind of deeper meaning to what Harribel was asking him.

"You stare at me a lot whenever we're around each other. I can't tell what you're thinking when I notice it. Why are you so vigilant when I'm around huh? Do I make you uncomfortable?" She asked as she pushed him again.

"Of course not. I'll tell you about the dream then…" Ichigo changed the subject.

"You understand why I'm concerned right?" she asked him.

"You're making sure I'm okay because you're my friend, and you want to make sure this doesn't affect me or interfere in our normal operations?" Ichigo shrugged.

"I'm concerned because you don't seem to trust or like me very much. You know that your opinion means a great deal to me…but I get the feeling it's kind of one sided. What's my concern worth to you? Not much apparently…" Harribel said displeased.

He shook his head in disbelief, "Since when have you ever been under the impression I didn't like you?"

"And?" she said as she stared at him intently.

"What do you want from me? Just tell me what it is and I'll try my best to do it for you," Ichigo sighed.

"Tell me why you stare at me all the time but rarely talk to me about anything other than training. Why are we so impersonal despite all we've been through?" she half-demanded.

Ichigo finally gave in to her, "I don't mean to stare at you. It's nothing bad, Harribel…it's just because you're beautiful. I don't talk to you on a personal level much because you don't seem like you're a fan of small talk."

"I'm beautiful huh? So you just stare at me then in passing? How do you know I wouldn't like small talk? I'm interested in some small talk right now. Let's start with what the deal is with you and me? You don't have a problem talking to any other 'Beautiful' female." She countered.

Ichigo tried to change the subject, "You made your point...we should be more open. So do you still want to hear about my dream?"

Harribel glared at him, "You're doing it again. Now it's just starting to piss me off. I want to get to the bottom of this right now."

"So the dream began with me-" Ichigo began, but he was quickly interrupted as Harribel pushed him hard.

"If you're trying to provoke me then you're doing a great job. Don't make me do something you'll regret." she said dangerously.

"Oh so you do have emotions? What are you going to do that I'll regret? Push me again?" Ichigo decided to tease her since he was already on her bad side.

Not a moment later, the blonde tackled him. Surprisingly, she managed to knock him off his feet. The two went flying back and for some odd reason ended up on top of his bed. Harribel seemed completely flustered and Ichigo shocked.

"So I'm too emotionless to talk to? Is that it? You think I don't care about things? That I don't care…you're wrong if that's what you think. I care too much...and I'm afraid of that." she said somewhat emotionally. It seemed like her emotional wall was beginning to lower, and much to his surprise, Ichigo could see an unusual vulnerability in Harribel. It was so weird to see this side of her and he had no clue how to react.

She seemed very sad for some reason. Ichigo immediately began to feel horrible for inciting her and remained motionless as she clamped onto him tightly with her head buried in the mattress.

"I didn't realize you felt this way, Tia...but it's difficult to know what you want when you're always hiding your emotions from everyone," Ichigo said.

"I'll tell you what I want if you promise not to laugh. I like it when you look at me…it makes me feel good when I have your attention. I want you to like me…I don't know how else to say it. I want to be closer to you. I want you to touch me," she said as if it was the most embarrassing and shameful thing to ever admit aloud.

Ichigo wasn't really sure what was the best route to go from there as the two remained in the same position for a few moments.

"You can start by calling me Ichigo all the time…" was all he could think to say as he embraced her in a hug.

This seemed to make her feel a lot better as she made deep eye contact with him. Her face hovered close to his for a moment before her hollow mask opened. Before Ichigo could realize what this would lead to, her mouth immediately locked with his.

The blonde aggressively pushed him down as she crawled into a more dominant position and began to force her tongue into his mouth. Ichigo could barely believe her enthusiasm behind the action as she passionately made out with him.

After breaking their kiss, she looked at him hungrily as she grabbed one his hands. She slowly moved it up towards her stomach and higher, "More, Ichigo..."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo's Room Later ****XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo awoke later to find himself tangled up in his bed with Tia. There was an obvious lack of clothes between them as he could feel her warm, soft, but defined body pressed against his.

"So that wasn't just a dream then? Well…this is certainly going to make things awkward around here now," Ichigo said to himself.

The blonde seemed to stir awake as her eyes slowly opened revealing radiant emeralds. She had a look satisfaction in her eyes which Ichigo wasn't really used to seeing. The woman chuckled at him as they made eye contact, "You're finally awake? I didn't wear you out that bad did I?"

"I thought you were still sleeping," Ichigo replied with a light blush at her remark.

She shook her head as she moved over to straddle him, "I can't sleep…there's too much on my mind."

"Like what?" Ichigo asked as he briefly looked down at her body.

"Like you and me…and the others. What's the deal with that anyways? Am I your girl now or was this just a one time thing?" she wondered.

Ichigo sighed, "Well, I've been kind of avoiding this stuff for a while. I can't afford to have distractions like this affecting our teamwork and efficiency. These kinds of relationships always complicate things. What happened was…amazing. But unfortunately, it's going to have some negative consequences."

"No negative consequence will ever outweigh the loneliness I felt before last night. You felt it too. You can't deny it was great being together like that," the blonde said softly as her mask fragment opened up again. Ichigo knew what that meant as the woman locked lips with him.

He broke it off before she could go any further and looked at her seriously, "We can't just do this in the middle of a war. Do you have any idea how the others will act when they find out? And trust me they will. You are not the only one who likes me, Tia. Do you really want to stir up this kind of dispute?"

"Why does it even have to be a dispute? What's the problem with us openly liking each other? It's not like what happened between the two of us is going to permanently forbid them from liking you either," she said.

"You don't see the problem in that? I don't want people fighting over my attention and getting resentful of each other," Ichigo replied.

She shook her head, "Maybe you haven't noticed, but everyone already fights over your favor and affection. I could care less if they want to spend time with you when I'm not around…just so long as you're always there when I need you."

"What are you saying?" he said shocked.

"I'm saying I could care less whether they're in the equation with us or not. They can either accept that and get over it or they can just die mad," she clarified.

"That's unusually open-minded. Not something I'd expect from you to be honest," Ichigo replied.

"Well it's good we're getting to know each other better then, isn't it?" she said somewhat seductively.

Ichigo couldn't help but smile at her comment, "I guess so."

She got off of him and cuddled next to Ichigo resting her head on his shoulder, "Enough about this. I'll keep it on the down low for now if you'd prefer. You should tell me about that dream now that we're both awake again."

"Ah okay. Well you remember what I told you, Barragan, and Stark the other day right? About how Zangetsu was the hollow king and my Zanpakuto is named after him. Well I have memories from his life sometimes. They usually come to me in dreams. I saw Las Noches' construction getting completed. Where the dome of the palace stands now, there used to be this huge central citadel called the Moon Tower. It stretched way higher than the outer towers. I was talking about it with some people in the dream," Ichigo began.

"Hueco Mundo used to have a tower like that? So then who were those names you were calling out?" She asked curiously.

"I think they were the ancient Espada…they gave me this key that I had apparently been obsessed with finding all the pieces to. Something called an Oken. I recall in the dream that I was desperate to remember what it was for. Then the dream got dark and I saw this massive hell butterfly. It said some strange things to me and that's around the time I woke up," Ichigo explained.

"A massive hell butterfly? I wonder that means?" she pondered aloud.

Ichigo shrugged, "I'm not sure…but it's definitely something Sousuke Aizen would know about. I'm going to ask him later. By the way, what was the original reason you came here before all this happened?"

"Oh that? It was the only excuse I could think of to come talk to you alone," she said somewhat embarrassed.

"For someone as strong and confident as you, I find it odd how shy you actually are," Ichigo laughed.

"Only when it comes to stuff like this. Well anyways, I'll let you get back to business then. I'm glad we…spent some time together," the blonde arrancar said as she got up and started to get dressed.

As she made her way to the door, she looked back at him, "See you later, Ichigo. I'll be coming around here more often if that's fine with you," she responded before departing.

"Sounds good," he said with a smile. He couldn't help but laugh at the way she phrased the sentence.

'_Damn, who knew what a vixen she was. Hopefully I didn't__ make a mistake by letting her seduce me like that. I probably just opened the floodgates._' Ichigo thought as he watched Harribel's voluptuous sculpted form turn around.

After the woman left, Ichigo decided to get dressed himself. After doing so, he went to his balcony and looked over the horizon. Despite all that happened with Harribel, he was still somewhat hung up on his dream. Something about the names and faces of what he assumed were old Espada was striking a chord with him.

'_They were Zangetsu's friends…what were those names again? Arturo? Miho? Taima? Yuvha? There was another name I called out in the darkness. I wonder who the hell Athena is?_' Ichigo wondered.

"Ichigo!" an urgent voice sounded from overhead. Looking over, the hollow king noticed Ulquiorra land on his balcony next to him.

Ulquiorra's urgency was definitely not a commonality which led Ichigo to assume it was something very serious. He gave his dark haired friend a serious look, "Where have you been, Ulquiorra?"

"I was at the place you told me never to return to…that dark pit where I was born. Forgive me, but I had to go there in order to come to terms with who I am. I managed to achieve a second release in doing so," Ulquiorra explained.

"That's great news, Ulquiorra, but what's with the frown? You should be in a good mood. I achieved my second release as well. I wouldn't mind hearing about how your training went," Ichigo replied.

"It can wait for now…there's something very important I need to tell you. That dark pit that I showed you back when we were Vasto Lordes…I found a colony of hollows like me there. You remember them right? They were all dark…well I found out that the reason I was the only white one is because I'm their Omega. They sensed my power when I achieved Segunda Etapa. The alpha that found me had no idea what arrancars were, but she thought I was in league with some arrancar that crossed over the pit. Apparently, there's another landmass over it…something they called the Outlands," Ulquiorra explained.

Ichigo's face was a mixture of disbelief and anxiousness, "Another landmass? Are you serious? Did they describe what this arrancar looked like who crossed? Are you sure it wasn't one of ours?"

"They say it was a purple haired hollow with the number one on her shoulder. That would imply she was an Espada…but I don't know anyone with purple hair, and that number placement sounds odd. There's no telling who she is or what's going on in these Outlands," Ulquiorra replied.

"So what happened with the colony of hollows that found you?" Ichigo wondered.

"They offered to help guide us across the pit if I came back with you. The Alpha I spoke to went by the name of Dusk. She said she would gather the other Alphas to meet us. I'm sure they can explain more once we get there," Ulquiorra stated.

"We need to investigate this immediately. The last thing I need are rogue arrancars in Hueco Mundo. Besides…if there's an entire landmass on the other side of the pit then…" Ichigo stopped dead in his sentence as he remembered the memory of Zangetsu fighting Yamamoto.

'_Those mountains were destroyed…I've been wondering where the hell that battle took place. It could only be the pit. How the hell did this not occur to me sooner?!_' Ichigo thought shocked as the epiphany hit him full force.

"Should we bring any of the others, or do you think just the two of us should go?" Ulquiorra wondered.

"The others are still busy training…they need to focus on doing that. It would be safest and the most efficient for just you and I to go. We can afford to spend our time with this now that we both have a second release," Ichigo explained.

"Should I notify the others of the situation?" Ulquiorra asked.

"No…just tell them that you and I are going to go training with our second releases in the deep desert. I don't want this to distract anyone from achieving their second release. Whatever's out there can be more than easily handled by the two of us. At the very least, I'll go tell Sousuke in case this is a trap of some kind," Ichigo responded as he began to gather some nearby supplies.

"Meet me at the east gate when you're ready to go," Ulquiorra nodded as he departed immediately.

'_An arrancar with the number 1 on her shoulder? She couldn't possibly be one of the old espada could she?_' Ichigo thought to himself as he left to go inform some of the others that he was leaving the palace.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

So…with the announcement of the Bleach Manga ending. Especially given how horrible and rushed it was…I was pretty pissed at this series for the last month or so. I know that sounds pretty strange given that this fic has been getting somewhat successful…but I've been sort of soured to Bleach recently. Every time I sat down to write, I was just reminded of how ridiculous the manga had become. Luckily however, I remembered why I write fanfiction in the first place…to fix horrible canon bullshit that makes me Neurotic.

At the same time, I am kind of relieved now…I have free reign to do anything I want now without trying to keep it canonically accurate. Granted I was pretty much doing that anyways, but now I can just go unhinged. Fear not my fellow Bleach fans…I'll finish this damn story the right way. We can all just pretend that whatever Kubo has been doing the last one hundred chapters never happened. I'm probably going to add a rant about everything this final arc did wrong on my profile. Please send me internet hugs so I don't go off the deep end.

Anyways…sorry about all that. Yeah I ended up making you guys wait 3 months again. Not really any excuses there other than me just being pissed off at the series. I doubt it'll be that long again. I'm probably going to try and snowball a few chapters in the next month or so.

Moving on to the chapter commentary…we start off with Yuzu meeting some new Sternritters and learning about the upcoming invasion. Yhwach isn't too happy about what happened to his scouting party so now the whole Wandenreich is mobilizing. The invasion is coming soon. Just to clarify, he doesn't have his full almighty powers back yet (and they're not going to be toggle god mode uber hax 1337 in this story either). The guy is strong enough without that nonsense in the picture.

We also got some news from Yoruichi about the Zero Squad. They are going to train some captains and get them ready for what's coming. I'm definitely going to "fix" all the zero squad nonsense that happened in the Manga too. Who all do you think is going to go? Is there anyone you're hoping to see? Let me know and I'll make it happen.

Also I guess this is kind of spoilers, but the Fullbringers will be the story. I'm going to introduce them a little bit later. Orihime and Chad are a part of their little group, and I think somebody asked about Orihime's brother too. Fear not kids…it's all coming onto the board sooner or later.

A couple people guessed that the Old Espada were going to come through the Hell Gate, but we learned some interesting things about them and about some of their ancient history as well. Just for some background on them, I based their previous forms off of mythological creatures that I like a lot. A Thunderbird is a colossal bird from Native American mythology. Supposedly each flap of their wings would cause thunder. Also, the name Taima literally means thunder which I thought was kind of fitting. Moving on, everyone knows what a kitsune is, but Miho is not a traditional red/orange/white one. She's a black fox. Now depending on what part of the world you're looking at, black foxes are generally associated with good luck or bad luck. Also I'm surprised Bleach never incorporated a kitsune hollow...so I went ahead and did it myself. Finally, a basilisk can be any number of reptilian creatures, but I went for the Serpent variety. #Slytherin for life. Next chapter will finally show the long awaited confrontation with Athena Soifon and Ichigo. How are things going to play out?

Now as for the highlight of the chapter…Harribel of all people made the first touchdown/goal/homerun! I know some people are probably thinking it came out of nowhere, but I sort of tried to make it a surprise. She has a tough exterior and has been subconsciously keeping him from really getting to know her. At the same time, she feels a bit envious of the others because she doesn't have any kind of special connection with Ichigo other than just being his ally and fellow Espada. I am sure like everything I do, some people will like it and others won't. Whatever...it's fanfiction. I'd do this for a living if I was genuinely skilled at it. At any rate, they spent the night together. There's plenty more passionate romance stuff on the horizon, but I'm not going to write any actual lemons in this story. Maybe once I finish, I'll publish a separate M rated fic with all the "Deleted Scenes" both for you immersive romantics, and for the pervs. I'll probably only bother with that if enough people want it though. Well as always, thanks for reading.


	23. Chapter 23

**White Chapter 23: Sunlight Princess**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Deep in the Desert, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo and Ulquiorra progressed with impressive speed as they made their way towards the Outskirts of the desert. The Pit wasn't far from them now. The better part of their trip had been spent mostly in silence, but Ulquiorra made sure to catch Ichigo up on the situation at hand.

As they neared the encroaching trench of darkness, Ichigo couldn't help but feel reminded of the last time he and Ulquiorra saw this place. It was dark, abyssal, and in many ways scary. Just the idea of going into it brought back the anxiety of isolation that he constantly kept in the back of his mind.

"So...where are these pit hollows at anyway?" Ichigo asked as he and Ulquiorra finally reached the edge of the cliff overlooking the Abyssal Scar. Ulquiorra sighed as he looked over the dark landscape. His bright green eyes appeared to detect movement below. Ichigo had no doubt that they were well-attuned towards seeing long distances in the dark.

Ulquiorra cleared his throat before releasing an unusual bat like shriek into the darkness below. A moment passed with no effect occuring whatsoever. Just when Ichigo thought it didn't work, he heard a returning call from the pit.

This was immediately followed by several more and then a loud echoing chorus of additional, lesser shrieks. As they stood on the cliff edge, Ichigo and Ulquiorra were soon surrounded as a black cloud of pit dwellers swarmed out of the Abyssal Scar and began to fly around them. It was very similar to a flock of bats flying out of a cave. The two Espada stood there unfazed as the variety of pit dwellers eventually settled around them on all sides of the cliff.

Behind them, a loud series of thuds caught their attention. Ichigo and Ulquiorra turned around and spotted a large group of gargoyle looking creatures. In front of them stood four smaller more vampire-like creatures. Based on Ulquiorra's earlier explanations, Ichigo realized they were the alphas.

Looking at their frames, Ichigo figured that two of them were female and two were males. They each resembled each other greatly, but had distinctive enough features that Ichigo could tell them apart. One of the males was muscular and burly and had forward facing horns and long ears as part of his mask fragment. He was easily the largest one out of the bunch. The other male was smaller and had a more androgynous build to him. His mask horns went out and they curved up.

One of the females was curvaceous and had 4 wings much to Ichigo's surprise, and the final one bore a striking resemblance to Ulquiorra. The one that looked like Ulquiorra the most was the first to speak, "You return, Omega...I take it this is your king? The King of Hueco Mundo?"

Ulquiorra nodded at her, "Yes, Dusk, this is White...High King of Hueco Mundo and Cero Espada of the arrancars."

"He doesn't look like much to me...this better not be a waste of our time, Dusk," the smaller male said as he sized Ichigo up and down.

"We're standing right here...if you'd like to introduce yourselves then you may do so now," Ulquiorra said somewhat annoyed.

The smaller, slightly effeminate male alpha chuckled, "My name is Umbra, Alpha of the Cavern Colonies."

The larger male spoke next, "I am Void, Alpha of the Deep Colonies."

The one that resembled Ulquiorra more than others spoke third, "I am Dusk, King White, and I am the alpha of the Surface Colonies."

The 4 winged Alpha did not even bother speaking as she looked between Ichigo and Ulquiorra curiously. Both of the espada stared at her awaiting some kind of introduction, but one never came much to their surprise.

"Who is she then?" Ichigo finally asked as he stared at the four winged Alpha which was undoubtedly the most powerful one among them.

"That's Eclipse, she's the Supreme Alpha," Dusk spoke on the other alphas behalf.

"Supreme Alpha? What makes her so much stronger than the rest of you?" Ulquiorra asked.

Dusk shook her head, "Eclipse is the oldest...she's like our older sister. None of us have ever really fought her...but it's instinctual to know that she is the most powerful."

"Well I suppose the extra pair of wings might distinguish her a bit as well," Ulquiorra noted as he nodded in understanding.

Ichigo couldn't help but find Eclipse's refusal to talk annoying, "Does she not speak?"

"Eclipse is very quiet...she spends most of her time alone. Do not take offense, King White, even we alphas have a difficult time coaxing Eclipse from her solitude. Honestly I'm surprised she even showed up at all. News of your empire has obviously caught her interest," Dusk explained diplomatically.

Ichigo was thankful that the one called Dusk was being respectful and accomodating. It was obvious that the other three alphas did not appear all that impressed by him or Ulquiorra...at least not yet.

"Dusk told us that you two had a desire to cross our territory...before we humor the notion, I would like to know what exactly you hoped to accomplish by crossing? Is the purple haired hollow one of yours?" Void asked demandingly.

"She is not...that is why we came. Ulquiorra and I have no intention of bringing your kind into our own affairs. You're free to do as you will in this dark pit...but we must cross," Ichigo replied.

"Ah yes...Ulquiorra, the legendary Omega. I had no idea that he still lived. The White Bat is quite the elusive creature. How ever did you manage to bring him under your command, White? Is it your intention to subdue the rest of the Pit Hollows?" Umbra asked.

"Not at all...like I said, we just want to pass without any trouble. You can either accept that, or face the consequences of challenging our power. I don't need to have your permission at all. The fact that I am even meeting with you first is a courtesy. I could have been on my way over this chasm by now," Ichigo threatened.

Void growled at him, "I'll be honest...I only agreed to this meeting so that I could learn more about these so-called arrancars. They must not be very impressive if _you_ are their king."

"And yet the purple haired one proved too much for us to handle...do not bite off more than you can chew, Void," Dusk retorted.

"If you intend to pass us by right of power then it will take a lot more than some big words to convince me, White!" Void growled.

"Stop being confrontational, Void! Do you have any idea how powerful arrancars are?! I lost half of my betas to that damned purple haired arrancar. The Omega here is also way more powerful than any of us...that's not even counting how powerful his king must be," Dusk defended the arrancars.

"So you would have us submit and kneel to some Menos Lord? The very idea is pathetic, Dusk..." Umbra hissed.

"We did not come here with the intention to conquer your kind, but I have no qualms about doing so if you challenge me or my followers," Ichigo interrupted.

Void glared at Ulquiorra angrily, "You stand against your own kind, Omega? Is your king truly as powerful as you believe? Are you truly so powerful that you can threaten us without an ounce of fear?!"

"Yes," was all Ulquiorra said in response as he stoically stared the alphas down.

"Is that so?! Then prove your stength to us, Omega!" Void said aggressively as he stomped forward. The surrounding colonies of pit dwellers shrieked in anxiousness as Ulquiorra calmly walked forward.

'_These are Ulquiorra's people...it might be best to let him work this out_,' Ichigo thought as he watched the Omega and the burly alpha approach each other.

Void immediately held up a hand and charged a massive green and white cero. Ulquiorra didn't even bother readying his own to counter it as the blast fired in his direction. Much to all of the pit dwellers' shock, Ulquiorra caught and redirected the blast skyward. It immediately followed with a blast of explosive power drowning the area in spiritual pressure.

Ulquiorra's brow narrowed as he walked forward unscathed. The alpha charged him and swept in with a powerful claw, but it was immediately caught as Ulquiorra grabbed the larger hollow's wrist. With one simple squeeze, Ulquiorra brought the alpha to his knees. He then grabbed Void by the throat and squeezed. This prevented the alpha from getting up much to the others' disbelief. Despite his smaller stature, Ulquiorra was easily manhandling Void.

With a shriek of anger, Void broke lose and began to attack Ulquiorra with a furious rage. A swift counter knocked the alpha back to the ground. Void stopped his assault momentarily as he stared Ulquiorra down with widened eyes, "You're not even trying are you?"

Ulquiorra drew his Zanpakuto upon hearing the question and shook his head, "No...but I can if you wish. Enclose Murciélago."

A shower of green spiritual energy rained down upon the landscape and caused a shockwave to knock everyone except Eclipse and Ichigo back. Ulquiorra stood there in his first release form and stared over the alphas calmly.

"Such power..." Void said gulping back fearfully. He was proud, but not stupid. It was clear to him now that Ulquiorra was on a level beyond him.

"Impressive display of power, Omega...you are every bit as powerful as Dusk said you were," Eclipse spoke for the first time.

The other alphas all looked over at her wide-eyed. "What should we do, Eclipse?" Umbra asked their leader uncertainly.

"So it is true then...you have become like the Old ones then haven't you, Omega? I could hardly believe it when Dusk told me you were an arrancar. I wonder if this is a sign of fate or if it is simply a fortuitous event. Regardless of whether it is fate or chance, this encounter presents us with an opportune situation," Eclipse continued.

"What are you saying Eclipse?" Void asked confused.

"You knew about arrancars already?" Dusk asked surprised.

Eclipse nodded, "Of course I did...Lunaryu told me centuries ago."

Ichigo stared at her confused, "Lunaryu?!"

'_I know that name...it was Zangetsu's Zanpakuto!' _Ichigo thought surprised. He kept his composure as best he could as he awaited a response.

"Lunaryu the great Moonlight Dragon and blade of the king...was infused with the spiritual powers of the Moon. She blessed four hollows with the remnants of Zangetsu's power long after he died. Each was given a small fragment of his soul's power so that they would one day be brought together by fate. One was gifted the moon's gravity with control over time and space...one was gifted with the control over water...one with a reflection of the moon...and one with the moonlight itself. . Lunaryu dissipated a long time ago...divied among these four hollows. She lives on through them," Eclipse explained almost poetically.

"What relevance does any of that have to us? How did this, Lunaryu tell you these things if she is no longer here?" Ulquiorra asked.

Eclipse chuckled at Ulquiorra's question, "It is relevant...because you are one of those four, Lord Omega. You embody the moonlight itself...you were chosen by Lunaryu. I bore witness to your birth as the White bat. A being of darkness...and yet you radiate the moon's light."

"You what?! You knew what I was the entire time and you never tried to tell me?! WHY?!" Ulquiorra lost his cool.

"For the very reason that you stand here now...because causality has deemed it so. Or rather...Zangetsu has," Eclipse replied calmly.

"One with the gravity of time and space...one with the control over water...one with the reflection of the moon...and one with the moonlight itself..." Ulquiorra said aloud as he thought about who the other three candidates were.

"Barragan...Harribel...they're both the others aren't they?!" Ichigo realized as the epiphany hit him full force.

Ulquiorra's jaw dropped, "What does that mean exactly? We're all a part of this ancient hollow?"

"What about the last one...one with a reflection of the moon?" Ichigo wondered.

"Starrk and Lilynette..." Ulquiorra figured out finally.

Ichigo's jaw simply dropped, "This...can't be real can it? I can understand Ulquiorra, but how would the rest of them manifest from Lunaryu like that?"

Eclipse shrugged, "I couldn't say, King White, but judging on your reactions, I take it you know the others. They are all drawn to you...why is that? What subconciously draws those four to you?"

"Because...Zangetsu is the name of my Zanpakuto. He and I are one in a way," Ichigo answered after a long silence. The other alphas, betas, and most of the pit dwellers in general didn't appear to have any idea what Eclipse and the arrancars were talking about.

Dusk looked confused as she spoke up, "What does this mean then, Eclipse?"

"Kneel...all of you!" Eclipse commanded with a loud shriek before she bowed her head and took a knee.

Seeing their leader kneeling immediately forced every other pit dweller to follow suit. Ichigo looked at them all confused, "You knew Zangetsu then..."

"Before Lunaryu divided into the chosen four...she showed me a vision a White King. Zangetsu himself...if you are he, then you are the rightful Lord of all Hollows," Eclipse answered.

Ulquiorra and Ichigo traded surprised glances. The dark haired espada seemed very deep in thought as he contemplated on the significance of this revelation, '_Even in the beginning, we were drawn together...Harribel and Starrk too. Even Barragan to some extent. The top five Espada were all brought together...could this be fate? Does such a thing even exist?'_

Ichigo on the other hand was completely blown away by the news, '_Zangetsu threw his sword in the final battle...he planned for this to happen. Did he anticipate being reborn somehow? Or did he intend for his remaining powers to be divied among four worthy hollows who would one day use his power to bring about a new age? This is not a coincidence_.'

"We will grant you passage across the Abyssal Scar, my lords. Follow us...I am eager to see who this purple haired arrancar is for myself," Eclipse spoke as she stood up and walked towards the cliff edge.

"You know so much already...I'm honestly surprised you don't have any idea who she is," Ulquiorra finally spoke again.

Before Eclipse could reply, Dusk interjected, "Perhaps she's a survivor of the ancient regime. That's the only explanation that makes sense."

"We will see for ourselves when we find her. Lead the way, Eclipse," Ichigo commanded. Shortly afterward, they all departed over the pit. Several of the betas were polite enough to even carry Ichigo and Ulquiorra personally.

As they departed Ichigo sat there deep in thought on the beta's back, '_In a way...Zangetsu lives on through all of us. His compassion for weaker hollows. Harribel and I shared that trait. His will to dominate and unite Hueco Mundo...that was Barragan and I's dream. His lonliness in his power and his desire for companionship...Starrk and I are like that. The trust between Ulquiorra and I...our connection to the moon. How else could those four be my strongest followers? Zangetsu lives on through all of us. I wonder if that's how Barragan was able to defeat a former Espada too. It all makes sense...and yet I can't fathom the complexity behind all of this_.'

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Torre Del Sol, Soifon and Athena XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The past few days had been a very unusual experience for Soifon. Athena had proven herself to be genuine in her desire to help Soifon understand her hollow powers. In the brief time that they had spent working on them, Soifon learned all about the nature of how hollow powers worked in conjunction with Shinigami ones. It was this that made arrancar powers an interesting hybrid.

"You have learned much recently, Soifon...although it is a shame that you will never fully understand the instinctual hunger. It is through that feeling that your powers truly manifest themselves to you. It is how hollows know what to do and how to use their powers when they have to," Athena stated as Soifon practiced another volley of ceros and sonidos.

"How many times do you have to say that...I get the point already! I don't need your hollow precognition or instincts to know what my powers are. I've always been gifted with speed, and my power is over wind," Soifon repeated with annoyance as she zipped around at incredible speeds.

"Are you ready for another spar then, Soifon? I am eager to see how much you have learned since the last time you blew off my advice," Athena said with crossed arms.

The former captain stopped in front of the arrancar and drew her Zanpakuto, "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!"

Soifon released her hollowfied looking Shikai and got into a low menacing stance.

Athena looked at her somewhat displeased, "It's unusual that you can still manifest a Shikai despite being an arrancar. You're not like normal arrancars. I've wasted enough time humoring your stubbornness. We need to discover why you can't manifest a resurreccion."

Soifon noticed this little feature herself whenever Athena first attempted to teach her about resurreccions. She still had the ability to use her shikai, and did not appear to have a resurreccion. This little anomally had been the primary focus of her training for the past two days in order to discover why. Soifon believed it was because she was closer to being a visored than an arrancar. That being said, she wasn't really like the other visoreds either.

'_Whatever that bastard, White did to me is not something she's going to figure out by training me again and again_,' Soifon thought to herself as she stared down Athena.

Wind erupted all around Soifon's body as a yellowish black aura enveloped her, "I don't need to be like normal arrancars, because I am not one of them!"

"You mean you're not one of us?" Athena clarified.

Soifon huffed at her, "That's not what I meant...it's just I...you wouldn't understand. What makes a resurreccion so much stronger than a shikai anyway huh?!"

Her defensive attitude caused Athena's brow to rise as if she figured something out.

"I get it now...you're trying to draw on your shinigami powers more than your hollow ones. You can't deny half of your soul or power. It will cripple you, Soifon. It seems only a life-threatening situation is going to draw out more of your hollow powers and break you of this foolishness. You ask why a resurreccion is so powerful? I can show you," Athena said with slight grin.

Without wasting another breath, Soifon exploded towards Athena with untrackable speed. Much to her satisfaction, Soifon managed to land several blows to the lavender haired beauty from different angles.

She danced around gracefully as she jabbed her stinger blade at Athena from all angles. Her successful bout was short lived as Athena blasted her back with a blinding wave of fire.

The sheer magnitude behind it completely overwhelmed her forcing Soifon to take cover behind several boulders as the landscape burned in purple fire. She could hardly believe the beautiful yet terrifying sight as she looked over at Athena whose spiritual aura was ablaze with colorful, blinding flames.

"Ignite, Sol!" Athena said powerfully as all the light surrounding them gathered towards her drawn Zanpakuto. The sky visibly darkened as she did so causing Athena to become the main light source in the area.

Soifon could only watch with utter astonishment at the now radiant, winged goddess before her. '_She's so beautiful...' _was all Soifon could think as she squinted trying to avoid the overwhelming blinding light and radiating heat.

Yin and Yang who stood a considerable distance back traded amazed expressions as well. They had only seen Athena's release once before, and it was truly a thing of wonder in their eyes.

Before they could continue, Athena receded her resurreccion. Soifon cocked her head in confusion at the sight. '_Why did she revert back to normal?'_

"I sense...a great shadow in the distance. Let us return to Torre Del Sol...I believe your old acquaintance, White, isn't far away. He will be here today," Athena explained as she immediately took her leave.

Soifon wasted no time following her, but as she briefly glanced in the distance she could feel a shiver run down her spine. It shook her to the very bone and soul.

'_White is coming...' _she thought fearfully as she hurried back to Torre Del Sol with Athena and the twins.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Outlands, Hueco Mundo, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As Ichigo and Ulquiorra reached the other side of the Abyssal Scar, they got off of the betas that carried them. The better part of their trip had been spent talking to the alphas. Despite their initial hostility, the two males Void and Umbra seemed especially receptive to the idea of joining forces with Ichigo and his Espada now.

The hollow king had no doubt that Eclipse's opinion played a major role in their change of heart. They asked many questions about recent happenings and how Ichigo conquered the Menos Highlands. It seemed the more he told them, the more receptive they were to the idea of a united Hueco Mundo.

Umbra shook his head in utter disgust, "Shinigami bastards...so all of this was their doing then? Thousands of years of war and endless depravity all because they were afraid of hollows getting too sophisticated?"

"It is rather deplorable..." Dusk agreed, "although I am amazed you were able to get so many hollows to work together. Not to mention, becoming arrancars fixes the feeding dilemma too. That could do a lot to help our kind as well."

"It's like Eclipse said...your coming heralds a new age for all of hollow-kind. This is truly a blessing from Lunaryu," Umbra nodded in agreement as he looked at Ichigo and Ulquiorra.

"So we are to become arrancars then as well?" Void asked Eclipse somewhat nervously. It was clear the idea still made him nervous, but the other alphas' acceptance of the idea had done wonders to calm his worries.

"We would be willing to undergo that assimilation...but there are certain conditions I would request, King White," Eclipse interjected.

"What would those conditions be?" Ichigo asked.

She cackled enthusiastically for a moment before responding, "Special accomodations in this incredible palace, Las Noches, that I keep hearing about."

"I'm sure we can arrange something like that," Ichigo nodded in agreement.

"Also, we want exclusive leadership...we pit dwellers will only serve the Lord Omega and you yourself personally, King White. I am not interested in being subservient to any of the others...even Lunaryu's chosen," Eclipse explained.

"That's fine...you four can be part of Ulquiorra's fraccion, and this army of Pit Dwellers can be his personal army. Everyone respects Ulquiorra enough to not have a problem with your conditions," Ichigo stated confidently.

"Then it's a deal...now then, back to the matter at hand. Welcome to the Outlands of Hueco Mundo, King White. I do not know where the purple haired arrancar is, but I do know this much...you will find her if you follow the light," Eclipse explained.

"I am eager to meet this woman," Ichigo replied as he took a step forward. He felt a strange gathering of power in the distance.

'_Something's that way...wait, where did it go?' _Ichigo blinked several times in confusion.

"Did you just-" Ichigo was about to ask if anyone else sensed it before Eclipse nodded.

"She's that way...let's go," Eclipse gestured.

Before they departed, Eclipse looked back at the massive colony of pit dwellers, "Stay here...only betas and alphas may come. The light will hurt the rest of you."

"The light? What light are you talking about?" Ulquiorra wondered.

"You'll see..." was all Eclipse said as she motioned for Ichigo and Ulquiorra to take point.

'_She's pretty pushy for someone who just swore to follow us_,' Ichigo couldn't help but find amusing.

Ulquiorra looked back at the other alphas, '_My people...who would have thought I would one day lead them_.'

His eyes briefly met with Dusk's. She was staring very intently at him much to his curiosity. This did not go unnoticed by the others, especially Eclipse.

'_I wonder what they think of me now?' _Ulquiorra couldn't help but wonder as Ichigo led the way to the power source in the distance.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Torre Del Sol, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It did not take long for Ichigo and company to finally reach the source of spiritual power. Along the way, the transition to daylight greatly alarmed them. The sight of a massive, shimmering tower was the most bizarre thing however.

Above it shined a radiant, blinding sun. Ichigo hadn't seen sunlight in a while and felt a bit blinded by it. Nevertheless, he continued onward until finally reaching the base of the tower.

He stared at the tower with amazement, '_This tower...it looks like the ones from my vision of the ancient Las Noches...what is this place?'_

He looked around for a moment wondering where the source of power was truly coming from. Gazing up the length of the tower, he could finally sense it...the sun itself.

"Glorious isn't it...behold Torre Del Sol. Here stands the last remnant of the ancient empire untouched by time, war, or change," a powerful and charismatic female voice sounded all around them.

The pit dwellers appeared disturbed as a blinding light shot out from the tower entrance landing right in front of Ichigo and Ulquiorra. It was kind of angelic much to Ichigo's confusion.

Shimmering waves of light caused all of the pit dwellers to cringe and physically move back. The light in front of them soon took shape and finally formed into the shape of a beautiful woman. As the light subsided, the hollows all stared at the arrival in a mixture of amazement, confusion, and anxiousness.

Ichigo looked at the woman up and down. Her attire was very much like the kind the espada wore. On her shoulder was the number 1, which Ichigo found very convincing. Her hair was a ghostly pale lavender, and her entire body appeared to actually glow much to Ichigo's surprise.

She eyed him up and down with her deep, dark blue eyes and in them Ichigo saw astonishment. Athena stared at his face for a moment before shaking her head and blinking several times. She seemed more surprised than he did despite her epic entrance onto the scene. Ichigo found the unspoken body language strange as the two finally locked gazes.

"I know those eyes..." was all the mysterious woman said whispering to herself as she took a step forward.

"Who are you? What is this place?" Ichigo finally managed to ask.

The arrancar took a moment to regain her bearings and finally answered, "I am Athena Plateado...and as I said this is Torre Del Sol, my ancient home. I...I take it you are White?"

"You know of me? How?" Ichigo asked shocked.

"An acquaintence of yours told me that an arrancar had taken up residence in the ruins of Las Noches and declared himself king. I understand you have an army of arrancars...courtesy of an object called the Hogyoku yes?" Athena replied finally recovered from her initial surprise.

Ichigo furrowed his brow disbelievingly, "An acquaintance huh? Anyone that knows me well enough to be on my good side would not have kept you and your hidden tower a secret from me. Who is this _acquaintance_?"

"You wear the brand of the Espada...the number 1. What is the meaning of that? You are not our primera," Ulquiorra asked after Ichigo refused to answer the woman.

She looked at Ulquiorra curiously before looking over to the alphas, "Hmm I get it now...you're the White Bat. So that is why these pit dwellers are in your company. Interesting turn of events if I do say so myself."

'_Her name is Athena? And this is Torre Del Sol? Those names are so familiar. I called her name in the vision of the Hell Butterfly. That can only mean one thing...' _Ichigo finally accepted the possibility as truth that she was an ancient espada.

"I was the Primera a long time ago...under the rule of the rightful King Zangetsu," Athena exclaimed calmly.

Before Ichigo could respond to this confirmation of news, several arrivals came out next to Athena. Two of them appeared very similar in appearance minus their red and blue color variations, and the third one looked familiar to him.

Ichigo's eyes met with Soifon's. Her eyes were different from the last time he saw them. Instead of malice, ignorance, and disgust in them, he saw pure fear. Not a trembling kind of fear, but instead he saw a fear of the reprimand and punishment. It was a guilty look in her eyes...almost as if her being alive was an affront to him. As Soifon stared back into Ichigo's eyes, the only thing she could see was genuine disbelief.

"Captain Soifon? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked as the sight of her there was more amazing to him than Athena.

Soifon tried to mouth off an insulting retort, but she couldn't force herself to speak. Just the sheer sight of Ichigo again was enough to put her into a nearly panicked state. It felt like she was going through some type of post-traumatic stress.

'_C'mon, Soifon, say something! I've got a million things to say to this fucker...why can't I speak?!' _she mentally fumed.

"We found her in the desert...on this side of the Abyssal Scar. She told us about you, and how you turned her into a hollow," Athena explained as Ichigo continued staring at Soifon.

Not only did he find it surprising that the former captain was alive in this place, but the look on her face was one of terror. It was clear to him that Soifon was afraid of what he was going to do with her.

Something about the way she looked at him made Ichigo feel bad, '_I meant to teach her a lesson...but it's weird seeing her like this. She won't even speak_. _This is almost worse than the look she gave me before I did this to her_. _Was it wrong of me to do? I thought she would just go back to the Seireitei and get executed...but to see her alive here and as an arrancar no less...'_

"While I am not fond of the Shinigami myself, I have to say that what you did to her was especially cruel. It takes a spiteful and wicked type of person to subject someone to this kind of suffering before killing them. So I have to ask...why didn't you just kill her?" Athena questioned.

"I thought the Shinigami would kill her in an ironicly justified way..." was all Ichigo could say as he continued staring at Soifon.

She finally found her voice as she spoke to him for the first time, "They did try to kill me...I escaped the same way you and Aizen did. The big hollow used Negacion to pull me out. I ended up here..."

"Hooleer? He's in the cavern beneath Las Noches...how could he have pulled you out over here?" Ichigo said confused.

Athena sighed, "There's more than one of those types of guardian hollows you know. You're awfully ignorant for someone who claims to be King of all Hollows."

"So you're now one of us...how does it feel, Soifon? Not quite so different than being a Shinigami is it?" Ichigo said as he ignored Athena's remark.

Soifon fearfully stepped back. She wanted to look away from him, but Ichigo's gaze was magnetic it felt. Athena was somewhat surprised by Soifon's loss of backbone.

'_She's terrified of this man. For one as prideful as her to fall back in such a way...it speaks volumes about him. He seems like a tyrannical warlord to me...as savage as a Vasto Lorde_.' Athena though to herself.

"She is coming to terms with the punishment you put her through. Soifon is under my protection and guidance now. I have been trying to help her," Athena cut in catching Ichigo's attention again.

He glared at the purple haired arrancar, "Why would you bother helping her? She was too far gone to accept her condition. She's probably one of them still...I did that to her so that the soul society would think twice about spying on us. I also thought it would be ironic for her to die as a hollow by the Shinigami as proof at how stupid her false beliefs are. Are you saying she's different now? If so that's good."

"You...have no regrets about doing this to me?" Soifon gritted her teeth at him. It wasn't just anger he could sense in her, but also sadness and self-pity. Why was she expecting any different from White, the evil hollow king?

"Should I? Do you have regrets about the things you've said or done? Somehow I doubt it. You've probably found some pathetic way to victimize yourself in this situation haven't you? Still can't come to terms with what I was trying to show you? Let me ask you...can you see now, Soifon? Or are you still blind?" Ichigo asked.

Soifon swallowed the lump in her throat as she fought her inner self for the ability to speak. Finally she simply looked away, "Stop staring at me...just...stop please. I'm...I'm-"

Athena placed a hand on Soifon shoulder and spoke up, "You don't have to say anything else Soifon...I will do the talking."

She looked at Ichigo and shook her head, "The fact that you feel no remorse for this is sickening to me. She was your enemy yes...but putting someone through psychological torture is wrong no matter who is doing it. I find you a bit hypocritical and mean if I must say. Did you actually enjoy hurting her like this? What's done is done...there is no need to be unecessarily spiteful."

Ichigo shrugged, "Oh spare me the idealistic crap. Yes, it was cruel...but what I did to her was necessary. I was content to let her die an ironic death by the hands of her own allies...but since she still lives, I find it even more fitting of a punishment now. Tell me, Captain Soifon...exactly what are your beliefs worth now? If you truly hated hollows, you would have killed yourself already. What are you waiting for? Could it be that you don't want to die? Isn't that funny? None of my friends want to die either...neither do I. If you truly believed all of that stupid nonsense you spat at me, then you would have let them kill you. But you didn't...why is that?"

"I...it's not like that," Soifon tried to get a word in.

"Oh but it is...so let me ask you now. Do you want to die, Soifon? Or do you want to live? Your answer is going to determine your fate," Ichigo replied.

She looked down, "I...I don't know. I can't-"

"That's right! You don't know anything! You were just a blind zealot then and you're broken blind zealot now. It's about time one of you Shinigami bastards got a real taste of humility! So I'm going to ask you one more time...do you want to live or die?! Answer me!" Ichigo demanded angrily.

Soifon trembled fearfully as several tears welled up in her eyes. '_Am I crying? I can't cry...not in front of him. Especially in front of him. I'm so pathetic...I deserve to die_.'

"All you have to do is say yes or no. I don't like loose ends...you're either with the Shinigami, or you're with me. Since your Shinigami friends just tried to execute you I guess that leaves you with only two options. Join me, or die," Ichigo said authoritively.

Athena stared at Ichigo shocked by how maliciously cruel he was being towards Soifon.

"Is this how you became the King of Hueco Mundo? By bullying others into submission...stop being cruel. Soifon is with me now...she doesn't deserve this. Nobody does whether they're Shinigami or hollow." Athena interrupted.

Ichigo glared at the lavender beauty annoyed, "You don't get the right to judge me, Athena Plateado...you don't even know me. Also, can it with your high and mighty attitude! These Shinigami bastards use my own family as shields! They're all so smug thinking they're untouchable in their stupid Seireitei. They've been trying to kill me since I was a Gillian. I sent her back as a warning to them. The hollows aren't losing this time..."

'_What did he just say? This time? Does he know about the great purge?!' _Athena thought bewildered and caught off guard. She pushed those thoughts aside for the moment as she shook her head.

"Former Shinigami or not, she is still a person. I say that she's been through enough hardship already. Zangetsu never would have tolerated such unncessary heinous acts of revenge, even to our enemies. A sadistic upstart like you has a lot of nerve proclaiming yourself to be the king of the hollows. That title only belonged to Zangetsu. Leave her alone, now! She's under my protection, and this conversation is between you and me!"

'_Is Athena getting mad? That's not like her...' _Yang thought surprised.

Soifon herself looked over at Athena with a shocked expression, '_She's standing up for me...why? After all that talk about how the Shinigami are bad, she's still defending me to White himself? What's with her?'_

"All of Hueco Mundo is united beneath me...even the Pit Dwellers have sworn allegiance to our cause. I don't know what you intend to do, or why you insist on defending her, but I'll make this quite simple for you. We are at war with them...we're at war with the Quincies too! I have the entirety of Hueco Mundo to worry about. If their safety requires my being cruel to my enemies then so be it. I cannot afford loose ends undermining my efforts. I don't know who you think you are to question what we've rebuilt, but I suggest you take a step back and reconsider who you're messing with!" Ichigo hissed with fury.

Eclipse found Ichigo's threat appealing and leaned over towards Ulquiorra, "I can see why you follow him, Omega. The King is very imposing."

"White is normally not this angry...I don't see him lose his cool very often. Something must have triggered this reaction..." Ulquiorra noted. It was more of him thinking aloud, but all of the alphas nodded at the words and wondered what the implications entailed.

Dusk frowned, "We should probably get back...I doubt that former Primera is going to back down. The two of them only seem to be getting more angry at each other."

Soifon visibly shook from Ichigo's malevolent tone. It was a tone she recognized from the last time Ichigo got pissed off. She looked at Athena concerned, "Please...don't anger him, Athena. You have no idea how strong White is. Just give him what he wants. I'll do what he wants...I'll-"

"Why did you come here, _King White_?! Was it to force me into submission like the rest of your followers, or was it simple curiosity? Either way, you will find that I am not so easily threatened or coerced," Athena said strongly while interrupting Soifon.

"Normally I'm pretty patient with people, but I'm not going to get lectured by somebody who's been hiding out here for millennia. Soifon is coming with me or she's dying," Ichigo responded as his eyes locked onto Soifon again.

"You're not going to touch her or claim dominion over this place. If you have a problem with that then I will deal with you myself," Athena restated a bit more assertively now.

Ichigo gave Athena a death glare, "Is that so, _Primera_? How noble of you to protect a fellow hollow. I wonder if you were also busy helping other hollows when Zangetsu fought Yamamoto and Unohana to the death? Where were you when your beloved King died, huh?"

Athena's eyes shot open wide with disbelief, "How...how do you know about that?"

Soifon's eyes widened, '_How does White know about that? Is he connected to Zangetsu somehow? I mean...that statue does seem kind of similar to the way White looks.'_

"Call it a King's intuition," Ichigo remarked with a growl.

'_Those eyes...that face...the HORN! Could he be? No it's impossible!' _Athena thought to herself as she stared Ichigo down.

"Still haven't figured it out yet, Athena? Go on and guess...I'll wait," Ichigo said as he crossed his arms.

'_It can't be him...his hair is orange...there's no way. He must have somehow found Lunaryu beneath the Pit. That's it! Of course...that would explain why he resembles Zangetsu so much. Perhaps that is the source of his power. It could also explain why those alphas and the White Bat are following him_,' Athena deduced internally.

"Wielding Zangetsu's sword and power or emulating his glory doesn't make you Zangetsu. It makes sense to me now...you wield Lunaryu. What else would make those pit dwellers follow you? You're just some imposter! You're not even a quarter of what Zangetsu was!" Athena stated confidently.

"If you thought so highly of him then why weren't you there when he died?" Ichigo shot back aggressively.

Athena's face flustered with annoyance, "How dare you..."

Soifon watched cautiously, '_He's good at getting a rise out of people...even Athena with her holier-than-thou attitude_.'

The alpha pit dwellers all traded amused glances at her completely missing the mark. They and Ulquiorra all chose to remain silent as they did not want to tempt Ichigo's anger by getting in his way right now.

'_She knows about Lunaryu? That explains why she's been snooping around our territory for so long...she must have been looking for it.' _Dusk realized.

Yin and Yang were both completely silent as they tried to make sense of what was being discussed. Both had a similar impression of Ichigo though...and that was the fact that he was the most intimidating hollow they had ever seen.

Yang gulped fearfully when she saw the look in Ichigo's eyes, '_Those golden eyes are scary. He...kind of looks like that statue of Zangetsu though. The horn's the same. I wonder if Athena is right...did he find Zangetsu's sword?'_

Yin glanced over at the fearful Soifon, '_Not even Athena can make her arrogant ass that submissive. This White is a freaking badass. I sure hope things work out here. It looks like he and Athena might fight_.'

"Hahaha!" Ichigo simply couldn't stop himself from laughing at Athena's assurance in the false information.

"What's so funny?" she demanded with her face becoming even more flustered. This was the first time Yin and Yang had ever seen someone get under her skin before.

"Former Primera of the original espada. What the hell have you been doing the past thousand years?! Where were you when the Shinigami wiped out the entire arrancar population?! Hiding over in this sunny tower?! You have three seconds to explain to me why you've been hiding this entire time...and it better be a damn good reason!" Ichigo shouted angrily.

Athena simply stared at him, '_He speaks as if it personally affected him. He's not quite what I imagined_.'

"ONE!" Ichigo hissed.

'_He knows a lot about things a newer arrancar couldn't possibly know. I wonder if some record of the past survived at Las Noches...that might explain his background knowledge on what happened. Perhaps one of the survivors recorded the events before they died in the purge_,' Athena tried to reason through the situation.

"TWO!" Ichigo continued even louder this time.

'_Regardless of what type of connection he has to the past, this man is unworthy to be King of the Hollows, and for the sake of our kind I have to kill him. If this lunatic leads the arrancars into another war, we will only suffer a repeat of the Great Purge_,' Athena finally concluded.

"THREE!" He finished.

Upon finishing his count, Ichigo drew his Zanpakuto. Before he could make a move, Athena drew hers as well.

She glared at him with disgust, "For the sake of all our kind, I'm afraid I have to kill you, White. You disgrace a proud a legacy, and beneath your rule, Hueco Mundo is doomed. I was willing to hear you out, but based on your sadistic cruelty to a beaten enemy...I have seen all I need to about your character. You deserve nothing short of death."

"Athena, don't! He's too powerful! Don't fight him!" Soifon warned.

'_Since when has she been convinced of that?' _Ichigo wondered as he briefly looked at the former Shinigami. She immediately looked away trying to avoid his golden black eyes.

"You're not more powerful than I am...I promise you that, White," Athena stated seriously.

'_She speaks so confidently about that...I wonder how powerful she really is_,' Ulquiorra thought with a curious expression.

Ichigo found Athena's brazen claim infuriating as he narrowed his gaze in a furious scowl, "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my followers and secure Hueco Mundo...if that includes killing you and razing this tower then so be it!"

No more words were exchanged as the two flew in for a clash of blades. It was clear to everyone else present that this was going to be a cataclysmic battle. Ulquiorra and the pit dwellers all fell back a considerable distance, and Athena's entourage made their way back to the front of the tower.

Athena's skill with a blade was clearly not something Ichigo was expecting as she effectively parried his powerful onslaughts. She moved with a speed and grace that almost seemed to match his own. For a moment he felt as if he were battling Aizen again.

A simple skirmish of blades was enough to show him that this Athena wasn't all talk. There was more to her than he initially assumed. Her sword radiated heat and light even in its base state much to his curiosity.

He was already beginning to theorize on what other types of powers were at her disposal as they continued fencing. It was clear he was going to have to take her seriously if he was going to have any hope of taking her down. This former Espada was holding back a lot from what he could tell.

'_She's waiting for me to go harder and is responding accordingly...this is a match of attrition for her. She will only counter appropriately to what I do. If that's the case then we're going to be at this for hours_,' Ichigo realized as they progressively put more strength, speed, and force into their battle.

Ichigo paused briefly and shook his head, "Enough dancing around...if you're so powerful then show me what you can really do."

"I was about to say the same thing to you...although I suppose you want me to go first right? And here I thought you had the stamina to keep this up...or am I boring you, _King White_? Show me yours and I'll show you mine..." Athena sassed back in a condescending way.

Ichigo poked his hand on his horn and held up his hand charging a Gran Rey Cero. In his other he formed a black and red Cero Oscuras. Combining them into one with his joint hands, Ichigo unleashed a massive Gran Rey Cero Oscuras at Athena. The diameter of the beam was so wide that it appeared impossible to avoid in any direction.

Athena's eyes widened in surprise at the sheer magnitude of the cero and she immediately held up her own hand to counter it, "Cero Fuego!"

A fiery beam launched from her hands a moment later meeting Ichigo's in a head on collision. Her cero proved far weaker than his as it only gave her enough time to fly up and avoid the majority of his attack.

Now high up in the sky, Athena looked down and saw Ichigo approaching. She flew down and intercepted him halfway delivering an unexpected slash across his chest. It did little to cut through his hierro, but there was a slight cut and a noticeable burn mark left in its wake as well as a large gash over his clothes.

The two landed opposite one another down below and traded brief looks in their momentary respite. Ichigo sighed as he shook his head, "I don't have time for these games. You're really starting to piss me off now!"

"Then show me that resurreccion of yours, _your highness_...I eagerly await seeing your full power." Athena said mockingly.

"You must have a death wish..." Ichigo said cracking his fist.

He held his blade up parallel to the ground and looked deep into Athena's eyes, "Protect...Zangetsu!"

'_What did he just say?!' _Athena thought bewildered and caught off guard.

Everything in the nearby proximity to their battle began to shake violently as as a titanic pillar of red, black, and white spiritual energy erupted forth. The air grew heavy and sand blew away in all directions as Ichigo's spiritual pressure engulfed everything around it.

'_Did he just call his Zanpakuto Zangetsu?!' She thought confused, 'No...I must be hearing things. There's no way he said that. His appearance must be throwing me off somehow. My mind's on Zangetsu...I must have just thought I heard that. Maybe it's how my subconscious is making sense of this_,' Athena tried to rationalize as Ichigo's resurreccion took form.

Athena immediately felt the gravity around her intensify from the sheer force of it alone. There was no doubt in her mind that this mere presence alone could force anything short of an Espada class hollow to its knees.

When the spiritual power and dusty sand cleared, Athena finally saw Ichigo's first release resurreccion form in all of its glory. She could hardly believe her eyes when she looked upon it, '_It looks so much like, his...my lord Zangetsu, what has this imposter done with your remaining power?!'_

What Athena found the most unusual about this resurreccion though was the fact that Ichigo had two black swords in his hands instead of the white crescent blade that Lunaryu was.

'_How could that be Lunaryu if it's split into two black blades? This doesn't make any sense to me!' _Athena fumed in her mind as she faced Ichigo's release form down.

Without even wasting another second, Ichigo appeared next to her at impossible speed and jabbed a blade through Athena's stomach. Her face was full of stupor as she looked down incredulously.

Athena coughed up blood as she stared at the blade in her gut, "I suppose I shouldn't be arrogant enough to think I can defeat you in my base form."

Pulling herself free, she disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared a considerable distance away holding her Zanpakuto up, "You're going to regret this, White. Ignite, Sol!"

The former primera's entire body lit up in a blazing inferno as spiritual energy flared in all directions. The surrounding light all congregated towards the woman shrouding Athena's body in a radiant, angelic form.

Flaming wings of light shot out from her back, and what appeared to be fiery feathers formed all around her body. Her hands turned into claws, her feet into talons, and from her entire body, flames sprung forth. They burned in a variety of colors ranging from orange, purple, pink, and red. Her deep blue eyes turned purplish pink and appeared to be on fire as well much to Ichigo's awe. She was the color of a sunrise.

From her lower back, many tendril-like tail feather appendiges came forth as well. All of them burned a flaming pink. Ichigo would be lying if he said he didn't find her resurreccion beautiful.

The light that Athena was radiating appeared to greatly agitate the distant pit dwellers and even Ulquiorra himself. The dark haired espada stared at her form in the distance, '_I sense incredible power from her...she's easily more powerful than most of the other espada. I wouldn' t doubt if she could even defeat my first release in that state_.'

"All of that power...is this truly what arrancars are capable of?!" Dusk exclaimed almost awestruck.

Ulquiorra glanced over at her and nodded, "It is...and so much more."

'_I don't see Ichigo winning this fight without taking a few hits. This Athena is no pushover_.' Ulquiorra noted as he watched the battle continue.

Athena flew after Ichigo in her resurreccion form at blazing speed. The heat and the blinding light was nearly enough to stun him, but Ichigo narrowly evaded the incoming advance. He charged a colossal cero between his horns and aimed it in her direction.

With a loud howl, Ichigo fired the red beam full force. It arced in a destructive wave heading straight for her. Everyone watched with disbelief as Athena simply remained still taking the full brunt of the attack.

As the cero hit her, Ichigo and the others noticed it fade very quickly. The sight of Athena's wings growing brighter was enough to cause great alarm. The remainder of Ichigo's cero was absorbed into the woman's body.

'_Did she just...absorb my cero? That's sort of like Nel's ability. I wonder if she's going to fire it back at me?' _Ichigo though shocked.

He didn't bother waiting for her to possibly redirect it as he held up one of his blades, "Getsuga Tenshou!"

A powerful black and red crescent wave launched from his blade in Athena's direction. She simply held up her hand and caught it as it reached her. Ichigo could only watch in sheer astonishment as the wave shrunk and absorbed into Athena's hand.

"Is that it?" Was all she said with a stoic face, "I was expecting you to be more powerful."

'_That aura around her gets bigger everytime he fires an energy attack at her. She's absorbing his attacks...I wonder if Ichigo notices it too_,' Ulquiorra thought concerned.

Ichigo paused for a moment as he stared at her fiery aura growing in size, '_What the hell?! I've never seen anything like that before_.'

"My turn..." Athena said calmly as she stomped the ground. Seconds later it looked as if a volcano just exploded. Fire ignited the landscape and exploded in all directions in a devastating inferno. The blast wave glassed a lot of the nearby sand and shook the ground.

Ichigo felt the intense heat push him back as fire blasted all around him. '_How the hell is she this powerful? That blast nearly overwhelmed me!' _Ichigo thought to himself with disbelief.

Athena's body was glowing brightly still. Despite her repurposing of Ichigo's power, it did not appear to fade from her flaming aura. Ichigo was finally starting to understand what he was up against as he noticed this detail.

He growled at her and cracked his fists over his clenched blades, "Don't get smug just yet, Primera...this battle is only getting started."

Ichigo's blades both began to ooze spiritual energy as he flew in for a devastating sweep. Athena managed to deflect his attack with her clawed arms, but it sent a considerable chunk of landscape into the distance leaving behind a crater. This repeated for a succession of attacks caused the battle to tear apart the environment. The empty craters were filled with glassed flames leaving pockets of fire everywhere.

Despite her energy absorption, Athena was having a very difficult time countering the raw strength and force behind Ichigo's swings. Every other hit was managing to stagger her much to Athena's surprise. Not only that, but his additional weapon made it impossible for her to counterattack.

'_He's trying to defeat me with strength and speed since his energy attacks won't work...clever, but not clever enough.'_ Athena thought.

Her fists ignited in a blinding flash catching Ichigo off guard. It greatly reminded him of how bright and hot Yamamoto's flames were. Athena held one of her hands up for a moment gathering sunlight in it.

It glowed a searing hot gold which was even brighter than before. Athena's hair then caught on fire as well as her feathers.

'_I've never seen a hollow like her before...were the ancient espada all this powerful?' _Ichigo wondered as he braced himself through Athena's growing charge.

She held up her free hand with a deadly and annoyed face, "Lanza de Sol!"

A flash of light gathered around her hand forming a miniature sun. It then took the shape of a large spear. Ichigo was taken aback by her weapon, '_She's just full of surprises...'_

Pointing the spear at Ichigo, it unleashed a stream of fire that would have rivavled one of Yamamoto's. Ichigo held up both of his blades to block the flames as he pushed his way closer to Athena.

The flames only seemed to intensify as he got closer. He was beginning to lose his momentum now, and felt himself slip back a bit.

'_How does she have so much power?! She's stronger than most of the Espada! What the hell?' _Ichigo thought with disbelief.

He took a deep breath as he held his blades in an X shaped guard. He allowed the sunfire to push him further back as he gathered spiritual energy, "Getsuryu Jujisho!"

From his blades, two titanic dragon shaped energy beams shot in perpendicular paths completely overwhelming Athena's fire attack.

The kinetic force behind them was so intense that it completely reversed their positions. Athena tried to absorb the energy as it fired back at her, but it was so large that she couldn't stop the attack from still doing its damage.

After the blast subsided, Athena saw Ichigo standing there with strong red black and white aura of spiritual energy.

Yin's jaw was hung wide open at the sight of Ichigo's radiating power, '_He's so powerful...Athena couldn't even absorb all of his attack!'_

Soifon gulped as she saw the two powerful arrancars stare each other down in another pause, '_She's holding her own pretty well, but that attack looks like it actually damaged her a bit. Her flame cloak seems to have dwindled_.'

Athena looked at Ichigo with a shocked expression, "You're surprising...I'll give you that, White."

"The same could be said for you...Athena," Ichigo replied stoically.

She cracked a fist ungracefully as her flaming aura reignited, "It doesn't matter how powerful you are though...I can outlast you."

'_She's an interesting opponent...her powers respond appropriately to whomever she fights. Athena gets more powerful the more powerful her opponent is because she leeches energy from them. That's a very useful power...but against an overwhelming attack it can be overloaded. So long as Ichigo is careful with how he attacks her, he'll gain an advantage in that regard_,' Ulquiorra noted as he watched the exchange.

'_How does he intend to counter that? If she can absorb his power, then using more powerful attacks against her is not the best idea...' _Eclipse thought.

Athena began to levitate off the ground as her wings extended out, "Luz de Sol!"

As she absorbed sunlight in her spear, Ichigo watched Athena extend out her other hand, "Escudo de luz!"

A beautiful shield of pure light formed over her free hand. It took the shape of a massive round shield that Ichigo could only describe as some type of sun shield.

It was at this point Ichigo knew she was starting to really try. As she gathered more power, Athena formed a large blade of flames over her sunspear. It gave her tremendous reach as she swung it in several flurries.

Ichigo countered with a similar equivalent by forming large getsugas over his blades. As the two clashed in large scale gladiatorial combat, the surrouding area was beginning to fall apart. Soifon looked up at the tower amazed that it hadn't been caught in the crossfire yet.

Yang looked around gauging everyone else's reactions to the situation, '_At least I'm not the only one who looks scared...this battle is beyond anything I've ever seen. Athena is really giving it her all up there...with somebody like King White at the helm, it's no surprise that every other hollow in Hueco Mundo fell in line. I wonder if Athena can actually defeat him?'_

As Ichigo continued his onslaught, he charged another cero between his horns. This one was much larger than before. Along with it, he crossed both blades, "Getsuga Jujisho!"

The cero and the crossblade energy beam all fired in sync fusing into a blast so powerful that Ichigo was sure Athena couldn't counter it. Her eyes went wide at the magnitude of the attack.

Bracing her shield in front of her body, she awaited the incoming attack. It was so powerful that she quickly felt herself getting blasted back. Athena attempted to absorb as much of its energy as she could into her shield, but gasped in disbelief when her shield actually shattered.

This created a massive shockwave and forced Athena back even further. Thinking fast, she charged her spear and attempted to cut Ichigo's beams into two, but was unable to fully split it forcing her to endure a damaging blast of power.

She fell over after it subsided with smouldering ashes raining from the sky. The fires around her feathers, wings, and hair seemed to be going out.

"You really thought you could absorb that much power? Your shield wasn't strong enough to contain it and it exploded in your face. My crossed blades were too sturdy for you to cut through as well," Ichigo explained as he walked over to her slumped over body.

Athena struggled to her feet for a moment and looked at him with disbelief, '_In thousands of years I've never seen a hollow this strong. Combining that cero with his attack...I thought I could absorb it. How is he overloading me? That shouldn't be able to work. His reiatsu must be way denser than mine_. In this state he's stronger than I am.'

The woman simply smiled as she stood up. Ichigo found this unsettling as he tried to make sense of her reaction.

'_What the hell is she doing? Why is she smiling? Ichigo has her on the ropes...' _Ulquiorra thought concerned.

"I never thought it would come to this...you truly are stronger than I gave you credit for, White. However...I can't let someone like you disgrace Zangetsu's legacy by leading the hollows into another war. You don't understand...we can't win against them. Even were you to strike down the captains, there's still the royal guards and the Soul King," Athena stated seriously as her smile turned into a sour frown.

"Athena, please just give up! You don't have to die for me!" Soifon shouted catching both of the arrancars' attention.

Ichigo was very shocked by Soifon's words, '_Why is she loyal to Athena? She seems like she cares about whether Athena lives or dies. That's odd...coming from her.'_

Yin, Yang, and even Athena herself was surprised by Soifon's concern.

The lavender haired beauty sighed as she looked back at Ichigo, "I cannot do that..."

For a brief moment, Ichigo felt really bad about what he was doing, '_They have genuine concern for one another...it almost makes me feel like I'm the bad guy here.'_

Athena closed her eyes and sighed again, "It's a shame a hollow as powerful as you cannot see reason. I wonder if even Zangetsu could have tamed your hatred, White. It's time I put an end to this bout. Forgive me..."

The hollow king gave her an incredulous look, "You speak as if you're about to win here...did I miss something?"

"You see that sun...I've been storing power from it for a thosand years. I saved it for a last resort for whatever reason I deemed necessary. I never imagined I would have to kill another hollow with it. It seems fate has a cruel sense of humor," Athena said as she began to levitate off the ground.

Ichigo immediately realized what was about to happen, but before he could connect a swing with his blade, Athena seemed to almost warp into the sky. All of the daylight disappeared as it gathered above Torre del Sol.

Ulquiorra had to look away from the blinding light, but his mind was racing, '_It couldn't be...don't tell me she has a Segunda Etapa_.'

His deduction proved to be correct as it appeared as if Athena actually absorbed all of the sun's light. She was now the only light source in the sky. Ichigo deadpanned as she flew down and landed in front of him.

'_A segunda etapa?!' _Ichigo gasped in astonishment.

Athena cocked her head at him, "You seem surprised...I told you that you were not more powerful than I am. I've gathered power and trained my zanpakuto for thousands of years...and I have achieved a level beyond a resurreccion."

"Segunda etapa..." was all Ichigo said in response as he looked over her new form.

As if she wasn't impressive before, Athena now had six wings and her entire body was coated in light and fire once again. Golden armor covered her body, and over her face was a bird shaped helmet with a flaming plume.

She stared him down with intensity in her eyes, "Any last words before I kill you, White?"

"Rain...Zangetsu," Ichigo said loud enough for everyone to hear. Athena was taken aback at what she saw happening before her eyes.

Ichigo transformed into his Segunda Etapa. The transformation nearly caused Soifon to faint, '_He's got another form too?! We haven't even seen this yet...can White truly be stronger than he already is?! Are you freaking kidding me?!' _

Athena seemed even more shocked by Ichigo's Segunda Etapa, "You have a second release too?!"

After his transformation, Ichigo formed a black blade of energy in his hand holding it skyward. It eclipsed Athena's light as the beam grew to the length of Torre Del Sol. Ichigo calmly held it for a moment before speaking, "Mugetsu."

As the black beam of energy came down, Athena attempted to counter it. To her utter despair, it broke through her defenses immediately and overwhelmed her.

Absolute darkness blanketed the landscape afterward for a long moment. Only Ulquiorra and the alphas could truly see in the darkness. Athena's Segunda etapa was completely destroyed as she herself fell to the ground defeated. If Ichigo had actually put any more force into his swing she would have probably been in two pieces right now.

It was a complete miracle that the attack didn't cut her in half or obliterate her body, but she appeared to be done for from what everyone could see. Ichigo calmly walked forward and shook his head, "What a waste."

Athena's eyes were full of despair as she realized her situation now. White had defeated her even in the secret form she worked so hard to create...with one attack.

She could only lie there and watch as Ichigo walked over to her. His segunda etapa dissipated shortly afterward flaking away until he was finally back to his base state.

The lavender haired beauty looked up at him uncertainly, "Even with all my power...how did you-"

"Because I am Zangetsu reborn...in case you're deaf it's the name of my Zanpakuto. Get it now?" Ichigo sighed.

"You...are you really, Zangetsu?! But...no I can't believe it. Prove it to me, White! Prove it to me!" Athena shouted despite her injured state.

"Why? I'm about to kill you anyways..." was all Ichigo said in response as he walked closer.

Before he could reach her however, Ichigo was shocked to see Soifon block his path. She stood there with her arms outstretched.

Ichigo rose his brow at the former Shinigami confused, "What do you think you're doing, Captain Soifon?"

"If you wanna kill her you have to go through me first..." Soifon found the courage to say.

He looked at the dark haired woman for a long moment, "You're willing to die for her...for a hollow?"

"Yes...she's a good person. Nobody else would ever stand up to a monster like you on my behalf. I don't want her to die for someone as worthless as myself," Soifon replied as bravely and sincerely as possible.

Athena looked at the woman in front of her with disbelief, "Soifon..."

For some reason Ichigo felt truly moved by Soifon's words. There was a genuinity in them that he could not believe existed.

Ichigo sighed as he sheathed his Zanpakuto. Athena and Soifon both seemed confused by the action. Moments later Yin and Yang appeared on Athena's sides.

"Athena, are you okay?!" Yang asked full of concern. She immediately went to work trying to attend to Athena's injuries.

Yin didn't say anything, but her eyes locked onto Ichigo curiously, '_Why did he put his weapon away?'_

"It seems I was wrong about you, Soifon...you're not a blind zealot anymore. You can finally see the truth," Ichigo said after a deep breath.

The dark haired woman found her voice again as she took a step closer to Ichigo, "I was wrong okay? There are good people among the hollows...but the same can be said for the Shinigami as well. You're wrong too...Ichigo. I've seen countless innocent people die to hollows. Do you really think you're any more justified than we are by wiping us out?"

Ichigo seemed surprised by Soifon using his actual name. He looked down for a moment, '_She has a point...they're not all bad_.'

Flashes of various Shinigami went through his mind as he thought about it. Rukia, Karin, his father, and even the innocent people in the Rukongai Districts. He did not want to kill any of them.

"You're right..." was all Ichigo managed to say as he finally looked Soifon in the eyes once again.

She was taken aback by his response, "W-what?"

"I'm sorry...for what I did to you. Both of you..." Ichigo said with a sorrowful expression as his eyes focused on Athena now.

He turned around and began to take his leave, "You're all free to do as you please...I won't bother you out here anymore."

"W-wait!" Athena cried out as she stumbled past Soifon, "White, wait!"

"My name is Ichigo..." was all the man said as he locked gazes with Athena again. He felt himself quickly becoming lost in her ocean blue eyes.

Just then a wave of memories came flooding into Ichigo's mind.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo's mindscape, Zangetsu's Flashback XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Zangetsu was walking down a hallway when he heard arguing. He stealthily made his way to the corner and briefly peeked around it to see what was going on.

"Where do you think you're going, Athena?" a sassy Miho demanded with her hands on her hips.

"To see Zangetsu..." she replied calmly.

Miho bit her lip and glared at the woman, "I thought I told you to stay away from his private chambers. Zangetsu doesn't need you bothering him during his alone time."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was a crime for me to go to his room...what's it to you anyways, Miho?" Athena asked.

The black kitsune growled at her, "You arrogant bitch...you think just because you're the Primera that you're somehow the Queen of Hueco Mundo...well you're not! Zangetsu has no queen...and he doesn't need one either."

"Oh I get it now...you're jealous huh?" Athena said with slight grin.

"Of you?! Yeah right! Ha, don't make me laugh...everything was great until you and your stupid brother came along. I'm getting really annoyed with that high and mighty attitude, bitch. You've got a lot of nerve calling me jealous," Miho spat.

Athena shook her head, "I was just going to talk to him about the Hellgate, but if you want to act like a jealous little girl because you're so intimidated by me then be my guest. But like it or not, I'm going to see him."

"Over my dead body..." Miho said as she blocked Athena's path and pushed her back.

She got in the woman's face and gave her a smug look, "What's the matter? You going to retaliate at all?"

"Why? So you can get injured and make me look like the bad guy? You're a petty and manipulative brat, Miho...sometimes I wonder why Zangetsu had such a wicked little bitch like you as his lieutenant," Athena shot back venomously.

"He's mine...understand that?! You stay away from him!" Miho hissed.

"Oh? Arturo said you thought of him like a brother...I didn't realize you felt _that_ strongly." Athena replied.

"Why you!" Miho was about to pounce at the woman, but Zangetsu chose that moment to come around the corner.

"What the hell is this all about?" he asked looking between the two women disbelievingly.

Both of them looked horrified by his unexpected arrival.

Miho immediately latched onto him and glared at Athena, "I was just telling our lady Primera here that you were resting, but she cruelly insisted I move aside or she would hurt me."

Athena gave Miho a disbelieving look and frowned.

"What did I tell you about lying, Miho?" Zangetsu said catching the black kitsune off guard.

She looked up at him horrified, "W-what?"

"I heard everything you two just said..." he replied causing her face to redden with embarrassment. Miho immediately let go of his arm and ran away to hide in her shame.

After she left Athena sighed, "They still all hate me...maybe I should just go back to Torre Del Sol."

"Don't listen to them. They're just afraid of you and that's the only way they can express it. Miho isn't a bad person...she's just weird," Zangetsu said empathetically.

"So...what do you think?" Athena asked after a long silence.

"About what?" he said as he cocked his head.

Athena looked away, "About...her liking you more than she pretends to."

Zangetsu shrugged, "I don't know...I guess it's kind of cute."

"Cute huh? Don't dodge the issue, Zangetsu...Arturo told me you like her...a lot. Is that true?" Athena said quietly.

He nodded, "I do...she's very special to me, but this isn't really a pressing concern right now. What's going on with the Hellgate?"

"Hmph...well, it's kind of unstable at the moment. I was just coming to tell you that I think it would be a good idea if I looked over it personally for a while. Not to mention, the hollows in the Sunlands get rowdy when I'm not around to keep order," Athena explained.

Zangetsu nodded, "That's very proactive of you, Athena...you're a good leader. Don't let what the others say weigh down on you. I have a lot of respect for the work you put into Hueco Mundo and its people."

"So you're okay with me going then?" she asked uncertaintly.

He gave her a proud smile, "Of course...if you think it's necessary then I have no problem with you staying there for a while."

"I...you don't care if I stay or go?" she asked again.

"Do what you think is right, Athena, I trust you. I already told you that I am okay with whatever decision you decide to make," he replied.

Athena's lips pursed into an obvious frown. She turned to take her leave, "I will leave at once then..."

"Athena, wait..." Zangetsu called out as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around with sorrowful eyes. He could almost get lost in those dark blue oceans.

"What?" she asked.

Zangetsu embraced her in a hug, "Why do you always look so sad, my sunlight princess?"

"Sunlight Princess? What are you saying?" she tried to speak normally but found herself becoming emotional.

"I'll go with you, Athena...maybe some time away from the others will cheer you up," Zangetsu replied.

"Y-you will?!" She exclaimed joyfully as he broke the hug.

She gave him a longing look, "B-but...what about Miho?"

"What about you?" he countered.

Athena's face darkened as she leaned in to kiss him. Right before she did however, Ichigo returned to reality.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Torre Del Sol, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo looked at Athena's sad expression, "Why do you look so sad...sunlight princess?"

Athena's jaw dropped and tears freely began to fall from her face, "W-what did you just say? Z-Zangetsu?! You're...you're really Zangetsu!"

Before Ichigo could even reply, the lavender beauty charged over to him as best she could in her injured state. She ended up tripping upon reaching him and fell forward catching herself on his chest.

Ichigo could hardly believe how quickly her emotions took over as she clasped onto him tightly. "I tried to get to you in time...I really did. I was too late. Please forgive me...I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you. It's my fault you died..."

Ichigo wasn't really sure how to respond in this situation. He did the only thing that seemed appropriate in the situation as he slowly wrapped his arms around her in an embrace.

He had no idea what to say to the woman in this situation and chose to remain silent.

Everyone watched this scene with disbelief. Ulquiorra rose a brow shocked, _'What are they doing?_'

The alphas all seemed completely lost as well. Dusk leaned over to Eclipse, "What just happened?"

"She realized he's Zangetsu...I'm guessing there was some _history_ there," Eclipse deduced.

Umbra looked around at the landscape and shook his head, "That great battle...and it ends like this? An embrace?"

Yin and Yang were flabbergasted by what they were seeing. Yin couldn't help but feel a lump forming in her throat at seeing Athena in such a vulnerable state.

Soifon watched the gesture with genuine awe, '_He embraced her...even after everything that they said and did to each other. This is almost poetic...does Athena love Zangetsu? If White is Zangetsu reborn I wonder what that's going to mean?_'

Athena looked up at his eyes, "I see it now...I could never forget those eyes. If you remembered me...why did you fight us, Zangetsu?"

"I'm not the same Zangetsu that you knew all those years ago. I have his memories, and he and I are one, but it's not the same. I am Ichigo and I'm his reincarnation." Ichigo explained.

She frowned, "Of course...death claimed you after all. I'm just happy that you're alive in some way. W-why are you trying to war with the Shinigami? What's really going on with everything? You seem so...bitter."

"I think we should have a talk...I'll explain everything about who I am and what's going on in Hueco Mundo," Ichigo replied calmly.

'_If only they had reached that point before glassing half of this desert...' _Ulquiorra thought to himself.

Athena finally gained her footing as she let go of Ichigo. She nearly fell again, but he caught her arm and supported her.

"Come inside the tower...there's some things I will tell you about as well," Athena stated as she guided the way.

The two of them passed by Soifon who made direct eye contact with Ichigo. The dark haired woman's expression was unreadable, but she stared at him with eyes full of emotion.

As they passed, Ichigo was kind of surprised to see Soifon follow them. Everyone else quickly followed suit as well.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Inside of Torre Del Sol XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Everyone was gathered around in the main antechamber where the statues of the former Espada stood. The past hour had been spent talking about how Athena got there, the great purge, all the events of Ichigo's rise to power, and the conflicts he was now up against. Athena appeared particularly interested in Lunaryu's dispersal of power and Ichigo's family in particular.

Athena seemed truly ashamed of herself after hearing his story, "To think I judged you so harshly before...I am sorry, Ichigo. I can understand your feelings...the Shinigami have certainly not given you any reason to let them be. Still...I'm glad that you are able to see reason here and let Soifon live."

"It's alright...I just feel stressed out about the whole situation. When I heard about this place form Ulquiorra, I had to come see it for myself. Right now we're in a position where we can't do anything until the entire army is fully trained."

"You understand why I had to guard it all of these years though right?" She asked.

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah, the hellgate...that's a noble cause. One I can fully support."

Athena nor Soifon mentioned the former Espada to him that came through as Togabitos, and neither one thought it was a good idea either. This lack of detail did not go unnoticed by Yin and Yang though. The blue haired woman in particular found it oddly suspicious.

"Captain Shiba and all of the others...they have no idea," Soifon said aloud as she stared at Ichigo.

"No idea about what?" he asked.

"That you're not crazy or evil...you're just protecting this place from them. I can't even believe I'm saying this, but I can understand why you did all those things now. I mean, the whole deal with your sister...and your father. It really shows that you still care about them," Soifon stated.

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah...and my other sister Yuzu is currently a prisoner of the quincies. Rescuing her is honestly my first priority. At least I know Karin won't come to any harm so long as my dad's around in the Soul Society."

"So what happens now? I guess I'm one of you guys now huh?" Soifon asked uncertainly and somewhat anxiously. Despite their long talk, she still didn't know where she stood.

"If you want to be...if you truly believe that what we're doing here is right," Ichigo replied.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I do now. My only request is that you try to give the Shinigami a chance. Not everyone is a corrupted noble. I understand some of the captains have to...die, but don't take it out on the innocents in the Seireitei," Soifon responded passionately.

"You're like a different person now, Soifon..." Ichigo nodded, "I can respect that request."

She looked him in the eyes for a long somewhat awkard moment, "What you did to me was horrible...but I'm glad it happened now. Heh...before I thought you were like the end all be all lord of evil you know? It's funny...it almost feels like we're the bad guys and you hollows are the good guys."

"I've done some pretty terrible things and a lot of my followers are psychos, so I wouldn't go so far as to say we're 'Good,' but we're certainly not the monsters the Soul Society portrays us to be," Ichigo said nodding.

"I just have one question though...why do you want to kill the Soul King? Don't you know what happens if he dies? It'll destroy all the worlds," Soifon explained.

Ichigo frowned, "It's more of a personal issue for Sousuke...he has me convinced that the Soul King is bad."

"How would he know? The only people that have ever seen the Soul King are the Royal Guards...the Zero Squad," Soifon explained.

"My memory of Zangetsu's death...he also wanted to overthrow the Soul King. I don't really know why though," Ichigo answered honestly.

Athena seemed interested in the topic, "I believe I can answer that...Shortly before the war started, my brother discovered what Zangetsu's...your...oken was for."

"Oken?! Zangetsu had an oken?!" Soifon gasped.

"What's an Oken exactly? I remember dreaming about it...and a hell butterfly," Ichigo said deep in thought.

"An Oken is a key to the Soul Palace...the only people that have them are people that have some connection to the zero squad or the soul king. I believe the Shibas were the last family to get one," Soifon elaborated.

"Could it be that your relation to the Shiba Clan has something to do with this?" Soifon wondered.

Athena shook her head, "No, because Zangetsu had it thousands of years ago when he was a Vasto Lorde."

"Then how would he have had it then?!" Soifon asked with frustration.

"I don't know...that was something all of us wondered," Athena shrugged.

Ichigo recalled his dream with Arturo and looked at Athena uncertainly, "What ever happened to that Oken anyways?"

"Arturo was the last person who had it...you left it with him for safe keeping I believe. Could be possible that he died with it," Athena sighed.

"Damn...Barragan told me that Arturo went to the Soul Society after leaving him in charge of Las Noches. I guess we're not getting that Oken back anytime soon," Ichigo said in annoyance.

"It does not matter, Ichigo...you're better off focusing on this three way war first anyways. I mean unless you intended to go to the royal palace before dealing with all of these other issues Hueco Mundo is up against," the lavender haired beauty dissuaded.

"Maybe Aizen knows more about this...at any rate, I have to return to Las Noches," Ichigo said as he began to take his leave. Ulquiorra and the alphas all looked somewhat bored, but they immediately perked up as Ichigo made his way for the exit.

"We'll come with you, Ichigo...you're probably going to need our help if the Quincies plan to invade," Athena replied.

"What about the Hellgate?" Yin couldn't help but ask.

Athena shook her head, "It's of lesser concern than a Quincy invasion. My wards will hold it fine for now."

"Alright then, let's go," Ichigo said as he turned to leave.

Soifon stared out the exit as everyone followed behind him, '_This hardly feels real...but I'm one of them now_. _Ichigo doesn't seem like a half bad guy...I guess that explains why all those dumb hens were clucking around him like he was the only man in the world.'_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Muken XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Deep beneath the Squad One barracks on the lowest level of the Soul Society's prison, a man was bound in the darkness and chained to a pole. There was almost no light in this dark, abyssal prison, but the sound of footsteps approaching caught the prisoner's attention.

He was clearly a bit insane after being imprisoned for so long as he laughed at the sound, "Oh Zangetsu, is that you? Come to rescue me at last? Ha I always knew you would. Nothing could kill you! You're the king! You're the king! HAHAHA!"

"Shut up, arrancar...Zangetsu is dead. I killed him a long time ago, or have you forgotten?" a sinister feminine voice stated.

The minty haired prisoner noticed the silhouette of a Shinigami captain come into view as a faint light illuminated her. He looked at her full of disgust, "Oh...it's you! Haven't seen your wicked face in a while. What can I do for you, oh esteemed captain?! I don't get many visitors these days. How long has it been since the old guy came to see me? He still alive?"

"It's been centuries, Arturo Plateado...not that it matters for you. I've come to ask you again for something important..." Unohana began.

"The Oken huh? You want it? I knew you guys were going to ask for it again eventually...why now though?" Arturo immediately figured out what she was talking about.

"That is none of your concern...now tell me where it is!" she hissed.

"Or what? You'll torture me? Kill me? Imprison me? I don't have to tell you anything," he laughed.

A small smile curved up from the edge of her lips, "Where is the Oken? I won't ask you again..."

"Why do you care anyways? Not like we're going to use it against you now," Arturo laughed.

She growled venomously as she drew her blade, "I'm going to make you wish you were dead..."

"OH! I know what it is...Zangetsu's back isn't he?! You're afraid he's going to come and rescue me and get his Oken back aren't you?! You're afraid! YOU'RE AFRAID! HAHAHA!" Arturo ranted hysterically.

Unohana stopped momentarily as she glared at him full of disgust, "Zangetsu is dead!"

"Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night? Has the rain returned, Kenpachi?" he laughed at her.

The woman walked off in a furious rage, _'This is pointless..he's gone insane down here. I doubt I could torture any information out of him_.'

"The rain is coming, Captain! It's coming! HAHAHA!" Arturo cackled maniacally as Unohana took her leave.

As she left Muken and made her way up the lift, her mind was deeply troubled, _'White's mask and horn...they looked a lot like his._ _Could it truly be the same hollow? No...that's impossible.'_

She heard Zangetsu's haunting last words in her mind as she reached the top and exited the prison, '_One day you will fear the rain...he can't be alive. I wonder what Yamamoto thinks of this situation...he hasn't mentioned anything about it. Could I just be seeing things? Are my memories haunting me? I killed him...he's dead...he's dead. Right?'_

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**Alright...**so I updated in like four and a half months instead of in one. Damn I always feel really bad about promising a faster update and taking longer than a previous chapter. But life happens you know. Being a graduate student aint easy...especially when you have to TA and babysit 18-19 year olds most of the time.

As far as update requests go, I can honestly say I understand how Kentaro Miura and George R.R. Martin feel now with people constantly hounding for updates. It's not that I don't want to do it...it's just life keeps throwing things at me that need to be done first. Look guys, gals, and whatever non-binary etc gender you are...I am going to update when I can. Whether that's a few weeks or a few months then that's it. Still feel free to message me whenever you want, but for the love of god stop asking me if the story is abandoned. Like seriously please stop that. No...it's not and it's never going to be. I intend to finish all of my stories eventually. It might take me another damn year or two to finish, but it's not ever going to be abandoned. I put too much work into this fanfiction to not see it through to the end. With that being said, I always enjoy talking to people about the story and I can answer questions...so long as they aren't major plot spoilers.

On another note, I came back recently and looked at my follows and faves for White...jeez. When the hell did it get to like 4 k? I'm glad a lot of people really like the story. It seriously makes me feel like a D-bag for not updating sooner. Also, I appreciate the reviews as always. Yes, I actually read all of them...pretty much every author does. I cry at the mean ones too like an emo kid.

Now moving on to the Chapter Commentary...we start off with Ichigo and Ulquiorra meeting with the Pit Dwellers and their alphas. I doubt that anyone was surprised by the way it turned out. Although, the revelation about Lunaryu's fate was an an important reveal. Knowing this is going to play a big role in shaping all of their Segunda Etapas. I hope you guys liked the alphas as well. Pretty much all of their names are darkness themed. Umbra (after the sword or shadow). Void (I just reread Berserk recently so I had to do it). Now there's also a reason why Eclipse has four wings...that's not just my wing fetish showing. We'll find out later on. Ulquiorra now has his own little army and fraccion followers of his own. Good stuff planned there for my boy Ulquiorra.

The big meat of the chapter however was the long (and I mean LONG) awaited confrontation between Ichigo, Athena, and Soifon. Now I pretty much wrote this chapter in about a week. It's pretty long...almost two chapters in length, but I didn't want to end it on a cliffhanger. I am sure the conclusion to this was not terribly surprising, but I tried to keep it as real as I could. Athena recognized a lot of similarities to Zangetsu with Ichigo, but she wasn't willing to accept them until he said something only Zangetsu would have known. On another note, I'm sure some people will find it strange that Athena has a second release form...but think about it. She's been around for a while. Eventually she would have come to realize her true power. As far as her resurreccion goes, the color scheme of it was heavily based around Al'ar the phoenix god. Go google it if you want a better idea. Many of her attacks were sun based...much like how Zangetsu's were lunar in nature. Also, the reason her Zanpakuto isn't called Fenix is because that's what Arturo's is. Hope that clarifies everything...because I know how analytical some of you are.

The exchange with Soifon and Ichigo was as best as I could write it. Ichigo was being a bit of an asshole, and he realizes that later on in the chapter. I tried to make their dialogue as "in character" as possible, but if Soifon got a bit OOC then sorry. I really wanted her to come full circle here and in a way she's helped Ichigo see that not all Shinigami are beyond redemption. I don't know how you guys are going to recieve it, but I'll let the cards fall where they may.

Finally, the little teaser at the end with Arturo and the Oken...what's going on there? Where's he hidden it? I'm sure many of you are already speculating where this is going. Well anyways...let me know what you think. As always thanks for reading. take this update as a late Christmas present (or Hanukkah...Yule...Kwanzaa...whatever).


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